FMLM Fellowship Graduation Day 2025 - A celebration of leadership, learning and lyrics

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“Breathe deeply, pause, and now lead with intent.”

These words echoed through the Royal College of Anaesthetists on 16 July 2025, as the latest cohorts of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM) Clinical Fellow Schemes' officially graduated. The room was full of pride, joy, gratitude… and the surreal feeling that an entire year had passed in what felt like a heartbeat.

Fellows from across NHS England’s national leadership schemes, spanning the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s, Chief Dental Officer’s, Chief Sustainability Officer’s and National Medical Director’s Fellowships, came together to reflect on a year of challenge, transformation, and personal growth. It was a chance to celebrate the resilience, development, and leadership each fellow had cultivated over the past 12 months.

Pharmacy rocks the mic

When it came time to reflect, each cohort brought something special- but the Pharmacy Fellows? We ditched the slides and dropped the mic. 

Inspired by David Webb’s legendary love of music and wordplay, we turned our end of year reflection into rhyme, rhythm and lyricism. Madi and Bhavna brought to life our fellowship journey. Packed with band references and pop culture nods, all intertwined with the thread of raw honesty, our reflection captured what it really feels like to step into national leadership for the first time.

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As we shared:

“Very quickly, we learned that leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers.”

From high-stakes meetings to adjusting to a world without the oncall bleeps or the background hum of the ward’s telemetry monitors, we’ve navigated the shift from day-to-day clinical care to office life, where the pace is different, but the purpose remains the same. Even in non-clinical roles, authenticity, relationships, and curiosity are the true foundations of leadership, and keeping patients at the heart of everything we do never changes.

“Some of us lead with strategy, some with empathy, and some with an uncanny ability to keep a straight face during 3-hour Teams calls. All of it counts.”

We embraced our inner leaders- some quieter, some louder, all equally valuable. We launched outside our comfort zones, often after a secret power pose in the bathroom before a big presentation or a confidence-boosting playlist on the commute in and discovered that influence can often speak louder than authority. 

Keynotes & takeaways

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The day was full of inspiration. Professor Dame Parveen Kumar’s keynote, “Life is Not a Rehearsal”, was a standout moment- reminding us that being a healthcare professional is both a privilege and a responsibility. From writing renowned clinical textbooks to setting up hospital units and teaching doctors worldwide, she showed us what bold, purposeful leadership looks like.

Her core messages landed powerfully:

• We learn the most from our mistakes.
• It’s never about the role, it’s about the goal.
• Happy teams are effective teams.

Dame Celia Ingham Clark, in her first address as FMLM Chair, encouraged us to embrace “stewardship leadership”- built on respect, compassion, and quiet consistency. A timely reminder that whilst leadership doesn’t need to be loud, it should always be kind.

Reflections that resonate

The cohort reflections were among the most moving parts of the day- creative, honest, funny, and deeply personal. Through poetry, photos, stories, and laughter, fellows shared what they’d learned: how to lead from the middle, how to stay brave when things feel uncertain, and how to carry others with them on the way.

Richard Cattell, reflecting on behalf of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Office, reminded us, once again, of our luck in having him and David Webb as our national pharmacy leaders. Constantly generous with wisdom and time, their support has meant more than these words could describe.

Richard’s reminders included a few unforgettable gems:

• “Seek forgiveness, not permission.”
• “Turn your self-doubt into personal stride.”
• “Turn your problems list into a to-do list.”

Moving forward

To our fellow fellows: we’ve stumbled, laughed and grown. Leadership isn’t a finish line, it’s a practice and a mindset, constantly evolving with our commitment to curiosity and compassion. 

We leave this fellowship year stronger, equipped with practical tools, meaningful networks, and most importantly, the confidence and courage to lead. 

We also leave with some new mantras:

• Keep stepping outside your comfort zone (but bring caffeine and snacks).
• Stay humble and curious.
• Saying no, kindly and without guilt, is a leadership skill in itself.
• Progress isn’t linear. It’s more like a pinball machine: there are a lot of bounces, bright lights, the occasional tilt- but we keep bouncing forward.

We’ve stopped waiting to feel 100% ready, because if we did… we’d still be waiting. 

This is certainly not the end of our leadership journeys, but simply the next verse in our soundtrack. 

Thank you to FMLM, NHS England, our scheme sponsors, and all who walked this journey with us. 

Here's to leading with intent, courage, and just a little rhythm!

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Find out more about FMLM's Clinical Fellow Schemes.