At Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), we’ve been exploring what it means for a service or organisation to be ‘well-led’ in health and social care. Working with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), we’ve looked at leadership through the lens of Making It Real and asked: What does good leadership feel like to the people who experience it?
To answer this, we worked with the National Co-production Advisory Group (NCAG) and independent researcher Chloë Reeves to review the evidence. We didn’t stop at documents and data, we workshopped with people who draw on care and support, family and friend carers, and the workforce.
As we reflect on what we’ve learned so far, one thing is clear: leadership isn’t just about the people at the top. It belongs to all of us.
A shared responsibility
Leadership is often wrapped up in titles — Chief This, Director That. But leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about action, influence, and the choices we make every day. It’s about how we support others, how we listen, and how we create real change.
At TLAP, we believe leadership can come from anyone, not just those in formal positions of power, but also from people who draw on care and support, family and friend carers, and people who work or volunteer in care and support. Our new report highlights a crucial gap: what good leadership looks like is too often decided by those in charge, rather than by the people who experience its impact firsthand.
But leading isn’t easy, especially in an ever-changing world. The best leaders don’t have all the answers. Instead, they stay curious, open, and willing to learn. They recognise that leadership isn’t about having power over others, but rather working in partnership with them.
So, if leadership isn’t about authority, what is it about? And more importantly, how do we do it?
Anyone can be a leader
Leadership is about stepping forward, speaking up, and shaping the world around us — even in small ways.
Think about:
- The family or friend carer who challenges a flawed system.
- The person drawing on care and support who co-produces better services.
- The support worker who ensures dignity and choice are at the heart of what they do.
These are all acts of leadership that make a real difference. So, what does it take to be a leader? It’s about:
- Courage – to challenge systems that don’t work.
- Empathy – to listen deeply and understand different perspectives.
- Commitment – to act, not just talk, and to keep going, even when change is slow.
- Curiosity – to ask questions, stay open to new ideas, and keep learning.
- Co-production – to work in equal partnership, rather than making decisions for others.
- The best leaders aren’t those who think they know it all. They are the ones who seek out different voices, embrace feedback, and co-produce solutions.
Kindness vs niceness
Leadership isn’t about being nice. That might sound counterintuitive, but we often mistake niceness for kindness.
Being nice is about keeping the peace — avoiding difficult conversations, telling people what they want to hear, and not rocking the boat. But true leadership demands kindness, which is something far more powerful.
Kindness in leadership means:
- Being honest, even when it’s uncomfortable.
- Challenging decisions that don’t serve people well.
- Giving and receiving honest feedback with the intention to grow.
The best leaders create a culture where feedback is welcomed, not feared. They understand that leadership is an evolving journey, not a fixed state.
The “how” of leadership
But how do we lead in a way that’s real, tangible, and observable?
True leadership is about equal partnerships and co-production. It’s about recognising that leadership isn’t held by a single person or group but shared between people and communities.
That means:
- Listening before acting. The best leaders don’t assume, they seek to understand.
- Creating space for others. Leadership isn’t just about having a voice; it’s about amplifying others.
- Taking responsibility. Not waiting for permission or someone else to fix what’s broken.
- Embracing continuous learning. Good leaders ask good questions.
- Being open to feedback. Leadership is about growth, not perfection.
Leadership in a changing world
In a world shaped by economic pressures, political uncertainty, and social change, good leadership is more challenging but also more necessary than ever.
When we rethink leadership, we see it everywhere. We see it in the courage to speak up, the willingness to listen, and the commitment to work together as equals.
So, the real question isn’t “Who is a leader?” but rather: What does good leadership feel like? And how can we lead, wherever we are, with whatever we have?
It’s time to move beyond traditional ideas of leadership and embrace a model that is co-produced, person-centred, and deeply human. Because leadership isn’t about leading others, it’s about leading together.
Our new evidence review takes this thinking further. Rather than asking who leads, it explores what well-led care and support feels like to the people experiencing it. This report has provided evidence for the next stage of the project, working with CQC to co-produce guiding principles on how it will assess whether organisations are well-led.
