You already have leadership skills. Here's how to prove it.

If you have ever been to an arrest call.. you’ll understand when I say it’s chaos!

but what if I told you that..

I learnt how to run a music festival, from going to arrest calls

Since working in Paediatric Anaesthesia, I am privileged to not have been to one for quite some time, despite that I still have the skills I learnt.

Last week I was at Here -The Outternet overseeing the running of a 1000+ concert that has been running in London since 2019 (shoutout Palmwine Festival).

Our production manager on the day kept getting sucked into the chaos and halfway through,

I had to pull them aside and explain that, I’m a Doctor and I used to go to arrest calls, the best arrests were led by people who stood far away from the patient.

My advice to you is to stay in one place and coordinate otherwise you get dragged in different directions.

It worked and the show ran smoothly from there.

That moment was “a moment” for me, because I saw myself in them. That used to be me overdoing, over-carrying, trying to execute everything while leading very little.

But here's what really hit me:

I learned how to lead a music festival from running arrest calls.

Not from business school or from a course but from medicine. Until that moment, I didn’t really recognise that as a skill in my repertoire.

So if you've ever been part of an arrest call, a difficult ward round, or a multi-disciplinary meeting that went sideways, you've already learned leadership too.

You just might not realise it yet.

The Difference Between Executing and Leading

What my production manager was doing, is exactly what I did when I was new to it all..

I wouldn’t be too surprised if YOU have done this too at some point in your career.

I imagine it’s a consequence of being the responsible Foundation or Resident doctor, managing the requests of nurses, consultants, patients all whilst feeling like there was no room to breathe.

Being the one solving the problems.

Making the calls, being good means being hands-on, sharp, and ready to jump in at any moment.

This makes you an Executor. Leadership however is different.

If you are an executor, you are operating as a technician. They follow instructions.

Leaders step back and notice systems, and create things that scale.

Trust me when I say, you've likely been doing both.

You just haven't been recognising yourself as the leader.

The Skills You Already Have

Let’s look closer at what you actually do.

You're already leading.

Every time you:

• Coordinate a team

• Make a decision with incomplete information..escalating, referrals, nursing/family/management requests

• Delegate tasks and trust others to execute

• Step back to see the whole picture

• Course-correct when something goes wrong

You're leading already. You just don't call it that

This is the part I see clients miss all the time, they come feeling stuck, like their only value is in clinical shifts or protocols.

They don't see that what they really bring is transferable, commercial, and strategic.

But once they see it? Once they can tell the story of how they lead? Doors open. Opportunities shift. Interviews change tone.

It all starts by recognising what you already have.

Why you may not see it (and why that could cost you)

The reason you don't recognise these skills?

We are used to seeing things, as just part of the job. We're trained to stay humble. Don't oversell and downplay your role.

So when someone asks in an interview:

"Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership," you freeze, or mention how you helped with the rota.

Which is true. But it's boring and it doesn't show the skill.

Here's what's happening: You have the experience you just don't have the story.

With interviews, career pivots, or building something beyond medicine the story is everything.

How to Extract Your Leadership Skills (Even If You Don't Feel Like a Leader)

For the practical ones among you.

Here's how to identify and prove your leadership skills whether it's for an interview, a CV, or just to remind yourself of your inner sauce.

Step 1: Recall Real Moments

Think about situations where you had to lead,

Don't overthink it. Just write them down.

Step 2: Extract the Skills

What were you actually doing?

Not the clinical task. The underlying skill.

Leading an arrest call = Decision-making under pressure + delegation + situational awareness

Mediating a disagreement = Conflict resolution + emotional intelligence + communication

Teaching a junior = Mentorship + adaptability + building confidence in others

Notice the pattern? You're not just doing tasks. You're demonstrating transferable skills that apply everywhere.

Step 3: Tell the Story

Here's where most people go wrong. They list the skill without the story

I could have started this email with.. the facts. Leadership is about being less hands on, but I didn’t. I gave you the situation, what I did and then the result..

Interviewing for new roles? These are the stories that show calm under pressure and clear decision-making.

Starting a business or side project? That’s systems-thinking, team guidance, and execution all in one.

Pivoting careers? Leadership is the trait employers hire for even if the domain changes, because agency (the ability act independently) is invaluable in todays economy.

Medicine Trains You to React Not to Lead

The reason you keep getting sucked in is because this is what you have been told your skills are.

University equips us all to execute, stick to protocols. Be excellent under pressure. Don't make waves. Don't step out of line.

And in some scenarios that's important. Lives depend on it. 

But it also means most of us never learn how to lead at least not in the way that actually changes your career trajectory.

We work inside systems. We don't design them. We follow the plan. We don't change the plan if it’s not right.

And look I'm not saying we need to throw out protocols or go rogue. That's not the point.

The point is this: if you want to build a career that feels less like survival and more like something you're actually designing, you have to start thinking like a leader, not just a technician.

Even if you never run a business or if you stay in the NHS your whole life.

Leadership starts with leading your own life

There was a moment during the festival when I forced myself to step back.

I walked away from the backstage chaos. Watched the crowd from the mezzanine.

The music was playing, people were dancing, my team was handling things. The whole thing was... working!

And I wasn't in the middle of it, this is what leverage looks like.

Not doing more, but creating systems that work without you being in every room.

That's the leverage

The real value comes when you step back and let your system run.

Leadership Multiplies Income

Leaders build systems and it’s systems that scale.

I've worked with doctors who've built these systems.

• A GP who turned their workflow into a training product now earning passive income while helping other clinicians

• An anaesthetist who built an online community monetised through memberships

• A Medic who designed and licenced a Leadership Academy

None of them had MBAs or startup experience, but together we were able to identify where they could lead.

Your Skills Are More Valuable Than You Think

None of them started as "entrepreneurs." They just learned to see their skills differently.

They asked: What do I already do that someone else would value?

And then they built around it.

That's the opportunity, and it's available to you right now. I broke down in this video how your skills are your true wealth

📺 Your Salary Doesn’t Matter: Here’s How to Build Wealth

The Best Leaders Step Back

In startups, there's a saying:

"Don't just build faster. Zoom out and ask: are we building the right thing?"

That's what the lead clinician does in a resus call.

That's what I had to get my production lead to do on concert day and it’s also what a lot of professionals forget to do in their own careers.

We get so caught up in execution mode seeing patients, writing notes, answering emails, ticking boxes that we forget to ask why

Is this even the right direction?

Leadership isn't a title. It's not about even about being senior.

It's a posture and a perspective. A willingness to step back, see the whole picture, and make intentional choices.

And honestly? Most of us never give ourselves the chance to do that.

If you’re serious about taking ownership of your career, wealth, and life this is for you.

📩 Want to Lead Your Career Instead of Surviving It?

If you're done reacting and ready to design your next chapter

I’ll walk you through it inside The Portfolio Blueprint

Keep Moving Forward

Dr Niks.

P.S. Arrest calls taught me more about leadership than any business book.
Festivals just helped me prove it.
Your skills are transferable.
And your life, is yours to lead.