Articles / Leadership Course by RCOG: Develop O&G Leadership Skills
Development, Training & CoachingExplore RCOG leadership courses for obstetricians and gynaecologists. Develop medical leadership skills through Royal College programmes.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Tue 20th April 2027
Leadership courses by RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) provide specialty-specific development for O&G clinicians seeking to enhance their leadership capabilities within maternity services, women's health, and the broader healthcare system. The Royal College recognises that clinical excellence alone no longer suffices—effective O&G specialists must also lead teams, shape services, and influence healthcare policy.
Women's health services face distinctive challenges: high-stakes clinical environments, multiprofessional team coordination, patient safety imperatives, and increasing demand within resource-constrained systems. RCOG leadership programmes address these specific contexts whilst developing transferable leadership capabilities.
This guide examines leadership development opportunities through RCOG, helping obstetricians and gynaecologists identify programmes that match their career stage and leadership aspirations.
The Royal College's approach to developing medical leaders.
RCOG offers leadership development because modern healthcare requires obstetricians and gynaecologists to lead beyond individual clinical practice—shaping services, improving quality, managing teams, and influencing policy to advance women's health outcomes. Clinical training alone provides insufficient preparation for these responsibilities.
Leadership development rationale:
| Driver | Explanation | RCOG Response |
|---|---|---|
| Service demands | Complex, high-stakes care | Leadership for safety and quality |
| System leadership | NHS transformation needs | Preparing consultants to lead change |
| Career progression | Clinical director pathways | Developing future leaders |
| Quality improvement | Continuous advancement | QI leadership capability |
| Workforce challenges | Recruitment, retention, wellbeing | Team leadership skills |
| Policy influence | Shaping women's health | Advocacy and influence |
RCOG's leadership initiatives reflect broader recognition across medicine that effective healthcare requires clinicians who can lead systems, not merely treat patients. The College's dual mission—setting standards and supporting members—naturally extends to leadership development.
"RCOG develops leaders who combine clinical excellence with the capability to shape maternity and gynaecology services for future generations." — RCOG leadership development perspective
O&G specialists need leadership capabilities in team leadership within high-stakes environments, quality and safety improvement, service development and redesign, multiprofessional working, and influencing within complex healthcare systems. These capabilities enable effective leadership across clinical and organisational domains.
Essential O&G leadership capabilities:
Clinical leadership
Service leadership
People leadership
System leadership
Clinical excellence remains foundational—no leadership capability compensates for clinical weakness. Yet clinical excellence without leadership capability limits impact to individual patient encounters rather than system-wide improvement.
Understanding available development options.
RCOG offers leadership programmes including foundation leadership courses for trainees, senior leadership development for consultants, specialty-specific leadership addressing O&G contexts, and collaborative programmes with partner organisations. The portfolio addresses different career stages and development needs.
RCOG leadership programme types:
| Programme Type | Target Audience | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation leadership | Trainees, early career | Leadership awareness, basics |
| Senior leadership | Consultants, directors | Strategic, organisational leadership |
| Specialty-focused | O&G-specific contexts | Maternity, gynaecology leadership |
| Quality improvement | All career stages | QI leadership methodology |
| Collaborative | Cross-specialty | System leadership, networks |
| Bespoke/regional | Local needs | Tailored development |
Programmes range from short workshops through extended development over months. Some integrate with training curricula; others serve continuing professional development for established consultants. Format varies from face-to-face through online to blended approaches.
RCOG often partners with NHS Leadership Academy, Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, and other bodies to provide complementary development. These partnerships extend available options beyond RCOG-only offerings.
RCOG leadership training integrates with O&G training through curriculum requirements, mandatory leadership competencies, training programme modules, and educational supervisor expectations—ensuring trainees develop leadership alongside clinical capability. Integration reflects the specialty's recognition of leadership as core competence.
Training integration:
| Integration Point | Leadership Focus |
|---|---|
| Curriculum requirements | Leadership competencies specified |
| ATSM options | Advanced training in leadership |
| ePortfolio | Leadership evidence collection |
| ARCP assessment | Leadership progression reviewed |
| Educational supervision | Leadership development discussed |
| Quality improvement | QI project leadership |
Trainees should view leadership development as integral to specialty training rather than optional extra. The curriculum explicitly includes leadership competencies. Progression requires demonstrating leadership development alongside clinical skills.
Educational supervisors can help identify leadership development opportunities within training posts. Clinical governance involvement, quality improvement projects, and teaching responsibilities all build leadership capability within training.
Stage-appropriate development pathways.
O&G trainees should pursue foundation leadership development including awareness of leadership concepts, practical experience leading improvement projects, team leadership within supervised settings, and building the relational skills that underpin effective leadership. Development should be proportionate to training stage.
Trainee leadership development:
| Training Level | Appropriate Development | Practical Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
| ST1-ST2 | Leadership awareness | Team contribution, teaching |
| ST3-ST4 | Foundation capability | QI projects, supervision tasks |
| ST5-ST6 | Developing leadership | Service improvement, committee roles |
| ST7 | Preparing for consultant | Clinical lead experience, strategic involvement |
Trainees should resist pressure to pursue premature leadership development. Foundation-level capability suits training years; comprehensive leadership development belongs with consultant responsibility. Over-development before appropriate experience wastes resources and creates frustration.
Focus on practical leadership experience within training rather than accumulating courses. Leading a quality improvement project, taking responsibility for teaching, or contributing to clinical governance provides more development than passive attendance at leadership workshops.
Consultants can develop leadership capability through RCOG senior leadership programmes, FMLM qualifications, NHS Leadership Academy offerings, executive coaching, and practical experience in clinical director or similar roles. Multiple pathways exist for consultants at different career points.
Consultant development options:
Formal programmes
Practical experience
Coaching and mentoring
Network engagement
Established consultants should combine formal learning with practical experience. Leadership development without opportunity to lead provides incomplete preparation. Seek roles that stretch current capability whilst remaining within competence.
Development preparing for clinical director roles should include service management fundamentals, HR and people management, financial awareness, governance and accountability, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning—building on clinical credibility with management capability. Clinical director roles require distinct preparation.
Clinical director preparation:
| Capability Area | Development Focus | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Service management | Operations, performance | Running effective services |
| People management | HR, team leadership | Managing the workforce |
| Financial | Budgets, business cases | Resource stewardship |
| Governance | Accountability, quality | Ensuring standards |
| Strategic | Planning, direction | Future service development |
| Political | Stakeholder, influence | Navigating the organisation |
Many clinical directors report feeling underprepared despite clinical excellence. The role requires management capabilities medical training doesn't provide. Seek development before appointment rather than learning through crisis once in role.
Shadowing current clinical directors, seeking advice from predecessors, and understanding organisational context all supplement formal development. Each clinical director role differs; context-specific preparation matters alongside generic leadership capability.
Leading improvement in women's health.
RCOG supports quality improvement leadership through QI methodology training, Each Baby Counts and other national programmes, patient safety initiatives, audit leadership, and resources for implementing evidence-based practice. QI leadership represents core RCOG developmental focus.
QI leadership support:
Methodology training
National programmes
Safety initiatives
Resources
Quality improvement offers accessible leadership development for clinicians at all career stages. Leading a QI project builds practical leadership capability—engaging stakeholders, implementing change, sustaining improvement—within familiar clinical context.
RCOG's national improvement programmes provide structured opportunities to contribute beyond individual units. Engagement with programmes like Each Baby Counts develops both specialty expertise and system leadership capability.
O&G clinicians need safety leadership skills in creating psychological safety, leading safety culture, implementing safe systems, managing incidents constructively, and ensuring learning translates into practice improvement. The specialty's high-stakes nature makes safety leadership essential.
Safety leadership skills:
| Skill | Application | Development Path |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological safety | Team openness, speaking up | Team leadership practice |
| Culture leadership | Unit safety culture | Sustained engagement |
| Systems thinking | Understanding failure modes | Human factors training |
| Incident leadership | Constructive response | SI investigation involvement |
| Learning integration | Implementing improvements | QI methodology |
| Resilience support | Staff wellbeing after incidents | Support training |
Safety leadership extends beyond avoiding harm to creating environments where safety continuously improves. This requires different capabilities from acute clinical response—sustained attention, system understanding, and culture change capability.
O&G's involvement in national safety programmes including HSIB investigations, MBRRACE reviews, and Each Baby Counts provides structured exposure to safety leadership. Engagement develops understanding whilst contributing to specialty-wide improvement.
Leading complex, high-stakes services.
Maternity services leadership is distinctive due to the unpredictable nature of childbirth, multiprofessional team complexity, emotional intensity for families and staff, public and media scrutiny, and the constant tension between normal birth promotion and safety intervention. Leading maternity requires specialty-specific capability.
Maternity leadership distinctives:
| Factor | Leadership Challenge | Required Capability |
|---|---|---|
| Unpredictability | Resource planning complexity | Flexible response |
| Multiprofessional | Midwifery-obstetric interface | Collaborative leadership |
| Emotional intensity | High-stakes outcomes | Emotional intelligence |
| Public scrutiny | Media, coroner's attention | Stakeholder management |
| Philosophy tensions | Birth approaches debate | Navigating complexity |
| 24/7 operations | Continuous service delivery | Workforce leadership |
Maternity services operate under particular scrutiny following high-profile service failures. Leaders must navigate between promoting physiological birth and ensuring intervention capability, between respecting midwifery leadership and providing medical expertise.
The obstetrician-midwife relationship represents distinctive maternity leadership challenge. Effective collaboration requires mutual respect, clear communication, and shared commitment to woman-centred care. Leaders must model and foster this collaboration.
Obstetric leaders support midwifery colleagues through genuine collaborative partnership, respecting midwifery expertise, creating psychologically safe environments, advocating for midwifery workforce needs, and modelling the multidisciplinary respect that shapes unit culture. Effective maternity leadership requires obstetric-midwifery partnership.
Collaborative leadership:
Respect and recognition
Practical collaboration
Support and advocacy
Culture creation
Maternity safety investigations consistently identify poor multidisciplinary working as contributory to adverse outcomes. Obstetric leaders bear responsibility for their contribution to culture—modelling and expecting respectful collaboration regardless of professional group.
Practical guidance for participation.
RCOG members access leadership courses through the College website events calendar, regional programmes, RCOG World Congress workshops, collaborative programmes with partners, and training programme offerings. Multiple access points exist depending on career stage and development needs.
Access pathways:
| Access Route | What's Available | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| RCOG events calendar | Courses, workshops | Specific programmes |
| Regional programmes | Local development | Accessible attendance |
| World Congress | Leadership sessions | Conference attendees |
| Training integration | Curriculum development | Trainees |
| Partner programmes | FMLM, NHS Academy | Broader options |
| CPD catalogue | Various offerings | Flexible access |
Check the RCOG website regularly for new offerings. Popular programmes fill quickly; early booking secures places. Consider combining RCOG development with complementary programmes from partners for comprehensive development.
Study leave and professional development funding may support attendance. Discuss with educational supervisors (trainees) or with employers (consultants) about funding availability and application processes.
Study leave and funding for RCOG leadership courses typically comes from training programme budgets for trainees and employer professional development allowances for consultants, supplemented by RCOG member benefits. Funding availability varies by employer and region.
Funding sources:
Trainee funding
Consultant funding
RCOG support
Identify available funding before committing to development. Make clear cases for how leadership development supports service and patient benefit—not merely personal advancement. Demonstrate connection between development and role requirements.
Beyond RCOG-only offerings.
RCOG development complements other medical leadership training by providing specialty-specific context whilst generic programmes build broader capability—combining specialty relevance with cross-specialty perspective. Most effective development blends both approaches.
Complementary development:
| Provider | Distinctive Contribution |
|---|---|
| RCOG | O&G-specific context |
| FMLM | Comprehensive medical leadership |
| NHS Leadership Academy | System and NHS leadership |
| Royal Medical Colleges | Cross-specialty medical |
| Business schools | General management |
| Coaching | Individual development |
RCOG programmes understand maternity and gynaecology contexts. FMLM provides structured pathways and qualifications. NHS Leadership Academy addresses system leadership. Each contributes distinct value; combination provides comprehensive development.
Avoid redundant development across providers. Select based on developmental need rather than credential accumulation. Each programme should address specific capability gaps rather than repeat previous learning.
Executive coaching plays an important role in O&G leadership by providing individualised support for leadership challenges, facilitating reflection on practice, supporting transition to new roles, and developing specific capabilities in context. Coaching complements formal programmes with personal development.
Coaching applications:
| Application | How Coaching Helps |
|---|---|
| Role transition | Support moving into leadership |
| Challenge navigation | Working through difficulties |
| Capability development | Building specific skills |
| Reflection | Processing leadership experience |
| Performance | Enhancing effectiveness |
| Career planning | Clarifying direction |
Coaching suits consultants facing specific leadership challenges or transitions. The individualised nature addresses unique circumstances that generic programmes cannot accommodate. Coach expertise in healthcare leadership adds particular value.
Access coaching through employer programmes, RCOG offerings, or personal arrangement. Evaluate coach credentials including healthcare experience and coaching qualification. Initial chemistry conversations assess fit before formal engagement.
RCOG offers leadership courses including foundation programmes for trainees, senior leadership development for consultants, quality improvement leadership, patient safety training, and specialty-specific programmes addressing maternity and gynaecology contexts. Programmes range from short workshops to extended development. Check the RCOG website for current offerings.
Leadership development is integrated into the O&G curriculum with specific competencies required for progression. While particular courses may not be mandatory, demonstrating leadership capability through practical experience and formal learning is expected. Discuss requirements with your educational supervisor and reference curriculum documentation.
RCOG leadership programme costs vary by format and duration. Short workshops may cost £100-300. Longer programmes cost more. Member discounts typically apply. Study leave budgets and employer CPD funding often cover costs. Check specific programme details on the RCOG website and explore funding options before booking.
Leadership training significantly benefits clinical director effectiveness, though specific requirements vary by employer. Most successful clinical directors pursue development before or upon appointment. Combined RCOG, FMLM, and NHS Leadership Academy programmes prepare for the management, strategic, and leadership demands clinical director roles present.
Balance leadership development with clinical training by integrating leadership learning into clinical work—leading QI projects, taking teaching responsibilities, contributing to governance. Formal programmes should supplement practical experience rather than replace clinical priority. Discuss balance with educational supervisors.
RCOG provides O&G-specific leadership development addressing maternity and gynaecology contexts. FMLM offers comprehensive medical leadership education with qualifications applicable across specialties. Both have value; RCOG for specialty relevance, FMLM for formal credentials and broader leadership capability. Many combine development from both.
International O&G doctors can access RCOG leadership programmes, particularly if members of the College. Some programmes target UK practice; others have broader relevance. Online offerings increase accessibility. Check programme descriptions for target audience and applicability to non-UK practice.
RCOG leadership courses provide specialty-specific development for obstetricians and gynaecologists seeking to enhance their impact beyond individual clinical care. The College's programmes address the distinctive challenges of maternity and gynaecology services whilst building transferable leadership capabilities.
Key considerations for O&G leadership development:
The best development combines formal learning with practical experience, RCOG specialty focus with broader leadership perspective, and individual development with collaborative learning.
Start where you are.
Build capability appropriate to your stage.
Lead for better women's health outcomes.
Women's health services need medical leaders who combine clinical excellence with leadership capability. RCOG development resources exist to build this combination. Your patients, colleagues, and specialty will benefit from your investment in leadership development.