The Leadership MasterClass

The applicants for the first Leadership MasterClass, taking place in February 2020, have been selected. The nine successful delegates will attend their first retreat on 19th February for a three-day retreat, covering ‘leading in a VUCA world’, ‘leading self’, and ‘leading others’.

When asked how this course on change leadership is different to any other leadership course, Barbara Hoese said:

‘All leadership is about change; leading towards something, creating something new or different.’

Barbara has created the course alongside Professor Gabriele De Luca for MS Academy as an enabler to achieve the vision to ‘raise the bar’ for MS.

The course, based around the AAN leadership programmes, differs in a number of ways, ‘building on the experience and learning of the past 7 years’, noted Barbara, who began writing leadership programmes for the AAN in 2012. For instance, this course recognises that allied health professionals and clinicians have an equally important role to consultants within the healthcare team and so offers places to anyone within the team, whereas the AAN has a consultant-only alumni.

What sets this course apart is the variety of change skills that delegates will learn, from managing energy levels to creating engagement. Emphasis will be placed on creating positive relationships and having effective conversations, as well as on how to best manage conflict. You can read more about these skills in the write-up of Barbara and Gabriele’s presentation at ‘Raising the Bar’ in July.

The course will also be sharing the fundamental importance of self-care when in a leadership role, of managing and restoring personal energy during a project. Many healthcare professionals have a genuine passion to see improvement in MS services, and exert a huge amount of emotional energy in addition to their time and working efforts – as demonstrated through involvement in the ‘Raising the Bar’ programme! This course will look at the need to find a balance between caring for others and for self.

‘The work of leadership is to develop other leaders’, said Barbara.

Leadership is an essential skill to pass on to others whether through leading by example and sharing learning with colleagues and peers, or by inspiring people living with MS to be leaders in their own condition.

There is a real need to encourage and inspire patients to take an active and full role in the way they manage their condition, and how they want to be supported by their healthcare team. The MasterClass will teach coaching skills, which will be both useful within a workforce team, and with patients. ‘Trusting that they know themselves best’ is how Barbara put the core coaching philosophy. Delegates will learn how to help others to both make and take responsibility for their own choices.

The final part of the course which is also more novel is the project element. Many are familiar with Neurology Academy’s intermodule projects, where learning is put into practice. This project differs in that it will be carried out in a designated team with an assigned project advisor. The process of understanding a shared leadership model will likely be as important as the project content of examining an issue collectively and with fresh eyes, and proposing a solution.

We will feed back on how delegates find the Leadership MasterClass, and provide more information as appropriate. There will be future opportunities to attend the MasterClass if you were not able to submit, or unsuccessful in a place this time. Keep an eye on MS Academy’s website for updates.

This activity has been supported by a sponsorship from Roche Products Limited. Roche Products Limited has had no control over the educational content of this activity.