Leadership Explained

File tidying, I should do it more often. I just came across the following which is an extract of some work I was proofreading for my daughter, Jo.

Huczynski and Buchanan (2013, p802) define leadership as ‘the process of influencing the activities of an organised group in its efforts towards goal-setting and goal achievement.’ 

Leadership differs from management with managers concerned with planning, staffing, problem-solving and controlling; whereas leaders establish direction, align, motivate and inspire people (Peate, 2019). 

Wilcox (2014, cited by Peate, 2017) explains that while managers are appointed to a role, a leader chooses and assumes a role. The NHS Leadership Framework (2011) argues that leadership should not be restricted to those in designated roles, as anybody in the organisation can demonstrate acts of leadership.

It’s great when your children help educate you. But it strikes me that Government is trying to manage the NHS while the leadership of the NHS is tired and fragmented and from within. This is not a politically biased observation, I think it’s been the case case for decades.

It is also interesting to see the breadth and extent of the education of nurses today. The quote above was from an essay to qualify as a Nurse Associate (Enrolled Nurse in old terminology).

Kevin Harrington

I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.

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