Leadership tips for SAS doctors
SAS doctors are an integral part of the anaesthetic workforce, but opportunities to gain skills in leadership and progress throughout your career can seem sparse.
We’ve gathered four tips from SAS doctors across the UK who have been there. Leaders in their own right, together they span our SAS Committee, Board and Council, and inaugural cohort of our leadership course, Future Leaders in Anaesthesia.
1. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain
Like a lot of things in life, leadership roles won’t come to you, you have to go to them. If there is a role you want to do, go for it. Don’t worry if you don’t exactly meet the person specification, and definitely don’t be held back by doubts about whether you can actually do it. I have done that far too many times in my life and realised that I would have done a better job than the person who did take it on. And if at first you don’t succeed, try again! You will lose nothing, but have everything to gain.
Dr Emma Wain
Putting yourself forward for an opportunity can be daunting, especially when SAS doctors aren’t explicitly mentioned in the person specification. But sometimes leadership starts with being willing to step forward, even when you’re not sure you are the perfect fit.
2. Leadership opportunities can begin at any stage of your career
Leadership opportunities can begin at any stage of an SAS doctor’s career. This may involve leading a small clinical project that improves patient care, contributing to service development, or mentoring colleagues and resident doctors. These experiences help build confidence, credibility and valuable leadership skills.
Seek out mentors and role models who can provide guidance and support. They may be current colleagues, former supervisors, or individuals from outside your specialty. Mentors can help you navigate organisational structures, identify development opportunities and support your leadership journey. Asking to attend departmental or trust leadership meetings can also broaden your understanding of how healthcare organisations operate and create valuable networking opportunities with people whose roles you may not have previously encountered.
Finally, never underestimate the value of the SAS perspective. SAS doctors bring extensive clinical experience and continuity, making them well placed to influence change and advocate for patients, colleagues and services.
Dr Zoe Robertson
Your perspective is incredibly valuable, and finding the right mentor may be just what you need to help propel you forward.
3. Keep saying yes to opportunities
My tip for developing your leadership career as a SAS doctor is simple. Keep saying yes to opportunities, even when they are not open to you. Keep doing so up to the point where you are happy to start saying no (something I’m less good at but I’m getting there).
One of my top tips for developing your leadership career is being prepared to multi-task. My experience is that in healthcare leadership, you will have several pots coming to boil at the same time. The key to not becoming overwhelmed is accepting this as a fact and ticking one task off at a time in the same way you would deal with one clinical problem at a time.
Dr Anushka Aubeelack
As a SAS doctor, you already have the skills to prioritise, multi-task and manage competing demands - skills that translate naturally into leadership. Leadership is an opportunity to build on those clinical strengths, so wherever you are in your career, we’d encourage you to give new opportunities a go.
4. Leadership starts wherever you are
Six years into my career as an SAS doctor in anaesthetics, I’ve come to see that leadership doesn’t wait for a training number or a consultant badge — it starts wherever you are. Completing the Future Leaders in Anaesthesia course was a turning point, giving me the confidence to see myself as a leader rather than “just” a clinician. Being appointed SAS Advocate for my Trust feels like a natural next step — a chance to give voice to colleagues who are too often overlooked, and to help shape a career pathway. This SAS Week, I’d encourage others to step forward too.
Dr Molly Carson
Whether you’re taking your first step into leadership, looking for your next opportunity or simply starting to see yourself as a leader, there is no single route to leadership as an SAS doctor. Put yourself forward, seek out support, say yes to opportunities and recognise the value of the perspective you already bring.