The Contribution of Clinical Directors to the Strategic Capability of the Organization

This paper attempts to define the role of the clinical director (CD) with reference to the strategic contribution they can make to health service organizations. Drawing on reflections and evidence gained from developing, running and evaluating a three-year, regionally based, management development programme for CDs, three ways of potentially enhancing strategic capability are identified. These are to do with promoting knowledge connectivity, challenging the dominant managerial logic and acting as a link-pin in inter- and intra-organizational learning networks. Ways in which planned managerial learning and development can help promote this capability are explored.