Finding momentum: my journey into SAS leadership

For a long time, I wasn't entirely sure where being an SAS doctor would take me.

I had always enjoyed getting involved in things beyond my day-to-day clinical role. I like improving things, bringing people together, and getting things done. But for a while, I still felt a little stuck in terms of my own career progression. I wanted to know what was possible, how other SAS doctors had developed their careers, and how I could build some momentum of my own.

That was a big part of why I started looking for leadership opportunities.

Over the past couple of years, I have attended several leadership courses, including local and independent programmes, as well as opportunities through the RCP. In June, I attended the RCP Aspiring Women Leaders workshop and, more recently, completed the first day of the RCP SAS Leadership Programme.

I was looking for practical advice about progressing my career, but also the chance to meet like-minded SAS doctors. I wanted to hear what other people were doing, how they had got there and what they were aspiring to. Perhaps most importantly, I wanted to feel part of a wider community.

The RCP Aspiring Women Leaders workshop had a particular impact on me. I am a firm believer in fairness and equal opportunities, and the facts and figures around women in leadership positions really struck me. It genuinely sparked something. Rather than simply hearing about change, I came away wanting to be part of it.

At the same time, my own life was shifting too. I had had my two daughters and, although I was still very much in the world of night waking and toddler tantrums, I was starting to think about myself again. I wanted to reclaim some time and energy for my own career and development.

By then, I had built up some leadership experience through a range of courses, but I think the Aspiring Women Leaders workshop gave me the final push to put myself forward for something bigger. So I applied for the RCP SAS regional representative role.

My thinking became quite simple: what did I have to lose?

I met members of the RCP community through the process, which only reinforced my feeling that this was something I really wanted to be part of. I was delighted to be appointed and am genuinely excited about the opportunity to advocate for SAS doctors on a wider scale.

One of the things I am still learning about leadership is that enthusiasm alone is not always enough. I sometimes find it difficult when I am excited about a project, but others do not immediately share the same energy. I have learned that leadership is not simply about having ideas or getting things done yourself. It is also about bringing people with you, understanding what motivates others and being able to influence rather than simply push ahead. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) workshop during the SAS Leadership Programme has made this much clearer, and it is something I am keen to keep developing.

I am still early in the journey, so I would not pretend to have all the answers, but I already feel even more motivated to keep developing as a leader and making the most of the opportunities available to SAS doctors.

You do not need to wait until you feel like a leader. If you are already organising things, improving services, supporting colleagues, championing fairness or making change happen on a small scale, you are probably already demonstrating leadership.

Take the plunge.

I am only at the beginning of this next chapter myself, but I am passionate, determined and excited to get stuck in. I have plenty of ideas and hope that, through the RCP SAS Network, I can help raise the profile of SAS doctors, strengthen our collective voice and encourage others to see just how many opportunities there are to shape their own careers.

For me, leadership has not been about having a perfectly mapped-out plan. It has been about finding momentum, meeting the right people, building confidence and, ultimately, giving myself permission to go for it.