Simon Clarke shares how his time working in the Royal Navy has inspired and influenced his leadership style today. He reflects on the vital role that procurement plays in the everyday running of the Trust, in patient and staff safety and in providing high quality care to our patients. Simon shares some great advice on encouragement, being kind, compassionate and bold and supporting your team in managing difficult decisions and mistakes.
3 Quotes to lead by...
1. ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE THINKING
‘You don’t employ smart people and then tell them what to do. Encourage those individuals to be that collective sport. As a leader, all I’m doing is encouraging that wider delivery to ensure we can provide the best solutions and support for nurses, doctors and all our NHS family with that better quality of care.’
Q. Are you encouraging your team to be innovative and autonomous?
2. BE KIND AND BOLD
‘I also ensure with my senior management team that they take on that mantra of kind and bold. Everybody has a voice. Everybody has an opinion. Collectively we make that sort of final group to move forward.’
Q. How do you demonstrate the Trust values of Kind and Bold? How do you ensure that each team member has the chance to be heard?
3. MANAGE WITH COMPASSION AND COUNSEL
‘The team, I manage with compassion and counsel. When I’m meeting with individuals, the first thing I’ll do is ask how they are and how their family is. Then the counsel is supporting them with those difficult decisions they have to make themselves but more importantly, the counsel when they do make a mistake. It’s actually supporting them in learning from that mistake and not disciplining them for a mistake.’
Q. How do you show your team that you care? If somebody makes a mistake, how do you manage this?
External Resources
Great leaders don't tell people what to do.
Tiny habits: hear all voices in meetings
Good Employees Make Mistakes. Great Leaders Allow Them To.
