A good leader

• A good leader is someone who works with the team rather than working above it and respects everyone's input
• A good leader understands that communication is at the heart of good leadership
• A good leader must:
  • Be competent (and so earn the respect of the other members of the team)
  • Have excellent interpersonal skills (communication, common sense, understanding of what motivates people)
  • Have vision

Good teamwork

• A team is a group of people with shared objectives, each of whom makes their own unique contribution
• Coherent teamwork is crucial for the delivery of good quality patient care
• Individuals achieve more working together as a team than they do working on their own

Professionalism

• Professionalism lies at the heart of being a good doctor: it is a set of values, behaviours and relationships that underpin the trust that the public has in doctors
• It involves multiple commitments to:

• The patient
• Fellow professionals
• The institution/system

• It is more than treating patients effectively: it is taking pride in our work, building and maintaining relationships, trust, understanding, confidentiality, honesty and humanity
• The patient needs to have absolute trust in the theatre team caring for them; the anaesthetist, as a vital member of that team, has a duty to ensure that all members are professional at all times