Occupational Therapy News OTnews February 2020 | Page 42

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
Multi-dimensional
leadership
Dr Sidney Chu reflects on his personal experience
of developing multi-dimensional leadership with other
occupational therapists, as he nears the end of his
professional journey
W
hen I went through my occupational
therapy training in the late 1970s and
early 1980s, I learned from the book
Concepts of occupational therapy
that occupational therapists can take on different
roles as a clinician, manager, researcher, author,
educator and mentor.
This conceptualisation has inspired me to path my
professional journey to develop leadership in many of
these roles.
There are certainly many challenges to achieve
leadership in a multi-dimensional way.
Nature or nurture – different leadership styles
Are there genes to be a good leader? The answer is
no, as nobody is born to be a good leader. Effective
leadership is not an innate skill possessed by a few,
but a blend of personality traits, attitudes, behaviours,
knowledge and skills that is developed and acquired
through personal growth, life-long learning and
experience. Most leadership behaviours are learned.
42 OTnews February 2020
Then can you learn to be a good leader by reading
books, listening to great leaders and attending
workshops?
It will certainly help, but is it enough? To be a good
leader you need to develop leadership behavioural
traits, learn the craft in different dimensions of
leadership and practise, practise and practise.
There are various behavioural traits to be
a successful leader, for example to be able to
communicate effectively, organise information
systematically, demonstrate courage, be mindful, build
relationships, inspire others, recognise potential, think
strategically, display creativity, lead change, navigate
ambiguity, maintain a high level of positivity and,
lastly, be able to learn from experience, feedback and
reflection.
It does take time to learn and modify your own
behaviour if you do not possess these behavioural
traits, as I am still learning.
The concept of leadership is complex and multi-
dimensional. There are various leadership styles used