Scholarship / Being an example for the people. Chevening Scholarship: Leadership and Influeunce Question [2]

Chevening is looking for individuals that will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.

As a leader, people look up to you and you have to be an example to be able to influence others in order to see the positive change you desire. In other wards if you want to see things change for the better it has to start with you. I came to learn this important lesson the first year I started working at my current job site.

Twenty four hours on call can be really hectic and in order to perform well as a doctor cooperation from the nurses is highly needed. There were few nurses that were committed and took their job seriously. The rest had lackadaisical attitudes. They grumbled and argued when they were asked to do what is required of them. They didn't like working with me during the night because according to them I work too hard and I barely sleep at night especially if there's a critical patient in the ward. The greatest challenge for me was having them perform their duties at night. One night I went into the ward to check on the patients and found all the nurses sleeping.

Even though I was so mad that night I decided I was going to find a way to teach them to take their work seriously and put the interest of the patients first by being an example. Whenever we have difficult cases in the ward or an emergency at night I am always at the forefront, I'm not just the doctor who sits and give instructions after examining a patient. I get involved in attending to the patient, I even helped them with their own tasks if and when they need a helping hand. I encouraged them and I made them understand that the patients are the reason we are in the hospital, therefore when we come to work we should give our all and if it costs us not to sleep at night then we will have to wait until the next day when we are off duty to get all the sleep we need. With the dedication I displayed for my work they've come to understand the importance of their job as well. Today the nurses I work with understand me better, they know that when I'm on duty we have to work and do our best for our patients.

Aside from my work at Emergency Surgical and Paediatric Centre, I also help one of the Senior Consultant Paediatrician in Sierra Leone (now retired from government service) run his private clinic whenever he is out of the country. I draw up a schedule for me and two of my colleagues and make sure each day a doctor is available to see his patients. My colleagues and the nurse will call on me whenever they need help. This has being a good experience for me as it has enhanced my organizational skills.

I believe I have what it takes to be a great leader in Sierra Leone in the future.