In light of recent elections and the diverse distribution of votes across the political landscape, Sir Keir Starmer’s speech highlighted the importance of service and the need for a cohesive team to drive change. This is set against a backdrop of toxic cultures exposed by the Post Office Scandal, ongoing NHS national reviews, and the immense pressures on our systems. Understanding others has never been more crucial.

Embracing Differences of Opinion
Every individual is unique, and our role is to create conditions where everyone can thrive. By enabling genuine participation, we allow others to express their authentic views. Rather than changing minds, we should accept and validate different experiences, aiming to move forward together without necessarily sharing the same perspective.

Leadership Priorities
As leaders, our priority should be to create safe spaces for people to share their experiences. This fosters restoration, sense-making, positivity, and connection. Promoting psychological safety through trauma-informed practices is essential. By understanding and noticing trauma signs and preventing re-traumatisation, we can build trust, empowerment, choice, and collaboration through peer support, emphasising self-kindness and kindness to others.

The Importance of Environment
Providing people with insights without changing their environment can lead to frustration and misplaced aggression. Therefore, facilitating diversity of thought and skill sets within our teams is key. Team composition should go beyond culture and heritage, ensuring the presence of neurodiversity, personalities and ‘styles’ which creates a broad range of perspectives to find new solutions.

Role Modelling in Teams
As leaders, we must not tolerate poor behaviour, as it becomes normalised and persistent. Change starts with each of us, challenging the status quo, modelling the change we want to see, and motivating others. Reflecting on skills like situational awareness, situational ethics, cognitive flexibility, creative abrasion, creative destruction, strategic sparring, and the spiral maze of improvement can help us explore new concepts.

Building on Values
By focusing on values as goals and setting a clear direction, we can inspire real change. Today’s political and NHS struggles provide case narratives that underscore the importance of understanding, collaboration, and proactive leadership in driving meaningful progress.