Executive-level leadership and talent management in NHSScotland: overview paper

Rationale

5. The evidence base and international literature on leadership and talent management is wide and ever evolving. A number of key sources (see Appendix 1) provide the generic basis for the approaches set out in this paper. However, NHSScotland has a cadre of highly experienced and expert leaders who have been instrumental in pulling together this new approach. There are many existing examples of good practice across the dimensions identified above. Much has been done in NHSScotland to develop leaders and leadership capabilities for the executive level, via a wide range of programmes and interventions nationally and locally. The intention is now to bring the best elements together into a coherent strategic approach at a national level.

6. The current NHSScotland chief executive cohort places significant value in:

• leadership development for the future;

• understanding the complexity of, and changing the culture to enable, cross-sectoral working;

• a values-led approach which is underpinned by honest dialogue and effective performance appraisal and performance management;

• a constant focus on developing people, leadership development and talent management; and

• ensuring leaders lead across a wide range of teams and engage people.

7. Predicated on our commitments to ethical leadership, NHSScotland values and a 'Once for Scotland' approach, the intention is to design and implement a set of new national arrangements which will ensure the very best and most able people reach NHSScotland boardrooms and that they ensure people working in and across organisations can thrive and flourish such that they deliver the aims and expectations of the Delivery Plan. This will mean NHSScotland can continue to have a world class workforce which will, in turn, ensure that the people of Scotland can lead longer healthier lives at home or in a homely setting.