Nick Shannon is a business psychologist whose work helps organisations achieve better and more sustainable performance by improving the selection and development of their leaders and leadership teams.

Nick works as a coach, consultant, mentor and facilitator within a diverse range of organisations Nick is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Nick has a particular interest in the psychology of adult development and the cognitive and emotional transitions that managers must make in order to work successfully at higher levels of complexity and hierarchy.

He is the author of the book “Metathinking: The Art and Practice of Transformational Thinking” co-written with Dr. Bruno Frischherz which provides a guide for adults to develop more powerful thinking skills.

Nick is a member and treasurer of the European Society of Research into Adult Development (ESRAD) and regularly presents papers at their conferences.

Nick's links :

metathinking.org

LinkedIn

Reflective Questions for Health Leaders

As you think about your own leadership journey and the themes explored in this blog, consider the following questions to help you reflect and take actionable steps:

1. How comfortable am I with ambiguity and uncertainty in my decision-making, and how might embracing a dialectical mindset help me better navigate complex situations?
   Reflect on recent challenges where you had to make decisions without clear answers. How did you handle these moments, and what might you do differently with a more dialectical approach?
2. What assumptions do I bring into my leadership role, and how often do I challenge or question these assumptions?
   Consider whether there are beliefs you hold about your role, team, or patients that may be limiting. How could exploring opposing perspectives broaden your understanding?
3. How well do I incorporate diverse viewpoints within my team, and how might I further encourage open dialogue and collaborative thinking?
   Think about the culture of dialogue in your team. Are there ways to make it more inclusive, allowing for more innovative, nuanced ideas to emerge?
4. When faced with a complex decision, do I tend to seek a straightforward solution, or am I open to seeing multiple layers and possibilities?
   Reflect on whether your decision-making approach leans toward simplicity or complexity. What benefits could come from taking a step back and considering alternative frameworks?

If you’re interested in exploring coaching or learning more about leadership in healthcare, visit my website, where you’ll find a wealth of resources tailored to medical and public health professionals. Sign up for my newsletter to receive 3 hours of free CPD through the Health Career Success Programme and access a range of articles, tools, and guides to support your career journey.

Dr Fiona Day is the world’s only Leadership Coach with advanced coaching psychology, medical and public health qualifications (MBChB, FFPH, BPS Chartered Psychologist in Coaching Psychology, EMCC Master Practitioner Coach & Mentor) and is in a unique position to help you and your teams to flourish. Fiona specialises in coaching medical and public health leaders, is a coach Supervisor, and an EQA Foundation Award Holder. Book a free confidential 30 minute Consultation with Fiona here.