Leadership capabilities

The MTS assessment process is based on leadership capabilities, and the associated skills and behaviours. These are considered essential for future leaders in the NHS Scotland. We ask five questions in this section, each relating to a different leadership capability.

Read each question carefully and in each case give an example of how you have demonstrated that capability. Your examples might be from your work, academic, family or social life.

Leadership capabilities that are used to assess the Management Training Scheme applications, including the descriptions of supporting competencies and behaviours:

Leadership capability

Supporting Competence/behaviour

Vision

Seeing how best to make a difference

Develops a shared vision by working in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders. Develops clear goals and plans that align with the vision and improve outcomes for people.

Communicating and promoting ownership of the vision

Acts as a role model and fully engages with leaders. Conveys purpose and direction in a way which encourages ownership of a shared vision that improves outcomes for people.

Promoting a public service ethos

Promotes a shared vision internally and externally with integrity and enthusiasm. Demonstrates confidence and builds a sense of pride and passion in delivering services that meet the diverse needs of individuals.

Thinking and planning strategically

Identifies options to deliver clearly defined common goals. Engages key individuals and groups to critically review current thinking, identify best practice and create plans that are challenging yet realistic and achievable.

Self leadership

Demonstrating and adapting leadership

Leads by example and adapts personal leadership and communication style to gain the support of others. Applies a flexible mind-set and plays an active role in achieving the best outcomes for people.

Improving own leadership

Challenges themselves to do new things to become a better leader. Identifies own strengths and limitations and invites insight and feedback from a variety of sources.

Enabling intelligent risk-taking

Seeks, encourages and recognises creative solutions to deliver better services. Involves others in analysing and evaluating data from various sources to identify risks and make informed decisions to improve services.

Demonstrating and promoting resilience

Is resolute in the face of challenge and constraints and is able to move past setbacks. Contributes to a culture that encourages others to adapt to changing circumstance and overcome obstacles whilst remaining focussed on goals and plans.

Challenging discrimination and inequality

Actively promotes a diverse and inclusive culture through openness and approachability. Contributes to a culture that empowers others to challenge inappropriate behaviour, however uncomfortable, and deal with complex ethical and work-related issues using transparent and fair processes.

Motivating & inspiring

Inspiring people by personal example

Leads with passion, energy and enthusiasm. Ensures visibility, delivers on results and communicates in a candid and truthful way to motivate and inspire everyone around them.

Recognising and valuing the contribution of others

Actively encourages others to share responsibility through active contribution. Recognises and rewards suggestions from those within and outside the organisation, recognises achievements and encourages others to do the same.

Driving the creation of a learning and performance culture

Plans and promotes development, talent and career management for all staff. Establishes ways to share learning across teams and evaluate all learning to ensure that it supports high performance and continuous improvement.

Collaborating & Influencing

Leading partnership working

Provides a dynamic link between own service area, other agencies and wider networks. Progresses objectives and shared interests that improve outcomes for people.

Understanding and valuing the perspectives of others

Manages a wide range of perspectives to seek constructive outcomes. Manages and challenges assumptions and considers a range of potential consequences to reach compromise that enables progress.

Influencing people

Builds strong working relationships with a wide range of people. Uses a range of influencing strategies to bring others with them towards a shared solution or outcome.

Creativity & Innovation

Seeing opportunities to do things differently

Has the courage to take risks, rethink systems and act on opportunities to make on-going improvements. Balances tacit knowledge with evidence-based research and trends to improve the way things are done.

Promoting creativity and innovation

Encourages an ethos that values creativity and innovation at every level of the organisation. Contributes to a culture of imaginative thinking, encourages learning from experience and accepts responsibility for outcomes from errors or failure.

Leading and managing change

Contributes to an environment of innovation and change. Communicates goals, involves others and builds acceptance by ensuring that people have the skills and abilities to achieve change at work and beyond.