Hybrid, entrepreneurial and inclusive leadership: Developing clinicians in integrated health ecosystems

Hybrid, entrepreneurial and inclusive leadership: Developing clinicians in integrated health ecosystems

Health sector systems encourage specialist clinical careers and gender inequality regimes which constrain entrepreneurial behaviours that are crucial for innovation and inclusion. MD MBA and equivalent programmes offer opportunities to develop clinicians as T-shaped professionals.
However, leadership development for clinicians in a low-medium income country (LMIC) like India is often ad hoc and insufficient despite the aspirations of frontline health workers and national level policy makers. Systemic inequalities and fragmentation perpetuate sub-optimal leadership in a context of chronic workforce shortages and burnout.

Drawing on insights in the literature on medical leadership development and situated leadership with policy insights from India and the UK, we propose a new social imaginary. This envisages clinicians as rounded professionals, doing leadership inclusively, and relating as entrepreneurs to influence systems change. Based on contingency theories and Acker’s inequality regimes, we re-imagine clinician leader and leadership development from Western and non-Western perspectives to enhance Indian and English health ecosystems. 
In addition, we will also address and discuss the challenges faced by Indian entrepreneurs and offer suggestions for strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.