Nazia's leadership journey

Dr Nazia Chaudhuri is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Respiratory Consultant in Northern Ireland

Becoming a leader
 
With respect to leadership, I was successful in applying for the Royal College of Physicians Women in Leadership program. I’d encourage all female respiratory trainees and new consultants to apply for this. It’s a yearlong program of face-to-face events addressing leadership training and through active learning sessions discussing leadership styles, skills and attributes principally by sharing personal experiences. Most importantly, it provides the opportunity to meet other like-minded females and provide mentorship and peer-to-peer support within your leadership career.
 
Leadership experience

I think we all start developing our leadership skills and style at the outset as trainees. It's very evident as a medical/respiratory registrar, on a day-to-day basis, you are acting in a leadership and mentorship role to trainees and allied health professionals. Often without even knowing you are doing it! Throughout our careers, we are building upon these skills and developing them, and some of us move into non-clinical roles.

 I started this journey by actively applying for membership roles within the British Thoracic Society. I remember my first role was a member of the education and training committee and council and it's through the direct observation of leaders within the BTS in these roles did start to reflect on my own skills and attributes as a leader. I then utilised the skills I’d observed in these national roles in my own leadership journey.

Over the years, I have applied my leadership skills in a number of local and national roles, as clinical lead of the ILD service, deputy clinical director of the department, and then moving into various leadership roles within medical education and the BTS. My most important and satisfying role is the mentorship of students and resident doctors. I endeavour to act as a role model to encourage trainees to enter a rewarding career in respiratory medicine

What helped you develop as a leader?

Having a supportive and inclusive environment is essential to ensure you can develop as a leader. I remember seeing adverts for leadership posts within my hospital, university and the BTS and always having imposter syndrome and talking myself out of applying.  It was the encouragement and support of senior colleagues who saw leadership qualities in me even before I did that really gave me the confidence to apply for these roles. It's really important that hospital management also supports you with these aspirations, as doing these roles needs time to do them well, and it's important you get that time within your normal working pattern.

 I was really surprised that it is actually very easy to get into these leadership roles. There are always lots of opportunities in the hospital, university and the BTS as these roles do come up frequently. I’m constantly encouraging my colleagues and trainees to apply for these roles, as often I do feel that females talk themselves out of applying because they don’t think they’ll be successful. I would say if you look at an advert and think I wonder if I could do that – then apply!

Having female role models is also very important. I didn’t have many female role models myself, and in fact, it was my male colleagues who stepped into that role. I would have valued having a female role model who was from a similar ethnic background to me. They were difficult to find when I started out as a registrar some 20 years ago. But I’m so pleased that there are so many fantastic inspirational women of all backgrounds in the field of respiratory medicine, and you don’t have to look too far. I’m massively proud to see Mumtaz Patel appointed as RCP President. She is a fantastic role model, and I had the pleasure of reaching out to her when I first started my consultant post in Manchester.

What makes a good leadership training experience?

I really found leadership training as a trainee very tick boxey, dry and boring. I think the best leadership training is practical and task-oriented, where people can share their experiences and where you can learn from each other. To do this, the environment needs to feel comfortable and safe.

 I think that’s why I valued the RCP Women leadership training, as I met like-minded people. To be honest, I think the best learning is to do the job and have a mentor you can turn to for help and advice. You learn quickly on the job! I do feel the leadership training and talking to other female colleagues actually gave me some examples on how I may do things differently, and was extremely helpful for me to reflect on my positive attributes and work on those attributes I knew I don’t do very well in.

 What qualities do you feel are important in leadership roles?

Oh, I don’t want to sound like a textbook or a classical interview reply to this question! I think we all know what's important because we have met some amazing inspirational leaders and others. You think how on earth have they managed to get this role?!

I think everyone has good and not so good qualities and one of the most important parts of being a leader is to have a reflective attitude and insight into your own qualities and to work on those qualities that aren’t as good.

A great leader also has time for the people around them, which is a quality that’s always a struggle in such busy NHS jobs, where you are often rushing from pillar to post.

I also try to lead by example – to be inclusive and enthusiastic about respiratory medicine and encourage people to excel in their own careers. Over the years, I have encouraged a number of female colleagues to successfully apply for BTS and leadership roles.

Communication is obviously key, and I’d like to think I am a straight-talking communicator to those I’ve met!

What are the barriers, and what helps?

Strong representation, increasing visibility, sharing stories/examples, mentoring

Don’t talk yourself out of applying for things because you don’t think you're good enough! You wouldn’t have even considered the opportunity if you didn’t feel you could make a difference, and what's the worst that can happen? You don’t get the post, and you carry on as usual.

If you don’t have a mentor, seek one out! You won't be surprised to know that the respiratory colleagues around you are all super friendly and willing to help.