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Valuing leadership development; exploring self-perceptions of leadership through a dedicated secondment opportunity
Mills, K. Williams, A. Clarkson, M.
Mills, K.
Williams, A.
Clarkson, M.
Publication Date
2026-04
End of Embargo
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Rights
©2026 The Authors. This is an Open Access article under the Creative Commons BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
2026-02-02
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
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mills_et_al_2026.pdf
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Additional title
Abstract
Introduction
Leadership is a recognised pillar of practice for all UK healthcare professionals and is critical at the advanced and consultant levels. A six-month national fellowship secondment provided experience and exposure to strategic level leadership activities for a cohort of imaging and oncology practitioners. During the fellowship, their self-perceptions of personal and professional leadership development were evaluated to identify the impact of the secondment.
Methods
Seven secondees were recruited to the fellowship in 2023. The multi-method evaluation comprised pre and post-secondment surveys alongside analysis of work activity diaries. Individual reflective diaries provided qualitative data subsequently analysed using narrative inquiry methodology.
Results
The surveys demonstrated a significant increase in self-rated confidence levels associated with leadership development and skills attainment in relation to communication (Z = −3.42; p = 0.01), networking (Z = −4.61; p < 0.01), policy (Z = −4.11; p < 0.01) and management (Z = −6.7; p < 0.01). In-depth analysis of the reflective diaries corroborated these findings, and four clear narrative threads were identified as being central to their experiences: self-belief, independence, partnering and visioning.
Conclusion
The fellowship opportunity improved the practitioner's self-perception of their own leadership skills development. The evaluation also highlighted specific areas of leadership which they had not been exposed to previously, and which then having experience in via the secondment, were identified as being of benefit to them in future strategic leadership activities.
Implications for practice
Non-medical practitioners working at advanced and consultant levels are not exposed to sufficient leadership development opportunities and therefore greater support for practitioners looking to align to higher levels of practice is necessary. Experiential opportunities working with leaders at system, regional or national levels, or dedicated education and training programmes that focus on key skills are required to successfully operate at this level of practice.
Version
Published version
Citation
Mills K, Snaith B, Williams A et al (2026) Valuing leadership development; exploring self-perceptions of leadership through a dedicated secondment opportunity. Radiography, 32(3): 103358.
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Type
Article