Succession planning

Previous articles in this series explored visionary leadership, the differences between management, clinical leadership and strategic leadership, various styles of leadership, the use of mentorship within leadership and some practical ideas on dealing with and managing stress as a leader. This article examines the important issue of succession planning for dental nurses.

I must admit to being a bit of a sports fan. I have a season ticket to watch Leicester City football team, a season ticket for Leicester Riders basketball team, I regularly play squash and many years ago gained a judo black belt. Leadership is a key factor in all these sports and becomes increasingly significant the more professional the team becomes. A good leader is essential if you want to turn a reasonable team into a good team and a good team into an excellent team. It is not surprising, therefore, that good leaders see themselves as somewhat indispensible in terms of the team's activities and achievements. Likewise the members of any successful team view the team leader not only as a key player but as an almost mystical talisman in whom they place their total trust and allegiance.