Placing Ladders: Harnessing our Leadership Potential

Stories and folklore have always been part and parcel of the fabric of organisational life. They convey imagined, factual and reflective accounts and offer powerful narratives for connecting and engaging us in exploring and co-creating shared realities.

Not surprisingly there is increasing use of stories and story- telling in the management and leadership literature. Whether in the form of fable, parable, metaphor, allegory, actual or experiential accounts, stories can spark action, develop shared understanding, transmit values, help to develop trust and foster collaboration and engagement in individuals, their organisations and wider community in which they belong.
In Placing ladders: harnessing our leadership potential, a number of leaders from the NHS North West community come together to tell their stories based on personal experiences, insights, learning and leadership practices. The key focus of the stories is that of engaging hearts and minds of staff and colleagues.

The stories are wide ranging and personal, but they convey insights and reflections that can help us all to have conversations about the futures we want to co-create to deliver excellence in the care and services we provide. The 16 chapters focus on personal experiences including leading whole system change and quality initiatives, developing partnership and collaborative working, personal development and people strategy to leadership styles, values and approaches.

Placing Ladders: Harnessing our Leadership Potential is an insightful book on leadership behaviour and development and will be of great value to all in health and social care, from board level to the front line.