Ep117. Anaesthesia, Advocacy, and Authentic Leadership with Dr Mark Priestley

In this episode I chat with Dr Mark Priestley, Chair of the Leadership and Management Special Interest Group (LAMSIG), Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) NSW and ANZCA Councillor.We are chatting about one of my favourite topics – leadership!

We go through my 4 part leadership curriculum, the importance of identifying core personal values, his work based on the book “Crucial Conversations” and navigating media when speaking out.

Want to continue discussing leadership?

Listen to Episode 83 where I chat with Professor Nina Deutsch and Assoc Prof Larry Schwarz about the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Initiative

Dr Priestley hosts a leadership and management discussion at the ASA’s 2025 National Scientific Congress (NSC). The videos from the 2025 NSC are due out in August. ASA members can access them here.

The leadership collection of the Australian Anaesthesia podcast can be found on the LAMSIG webpage.

Find out more about AUS-NZ WELI and apply to join here.

Some AI generated notes:

Episode Highlights

00:02:15: Assoc Prof Suzi Nou introduces WELI (Women's Empowerment and Leadership Initiative), a mentorship program matching emerging leaders with advisors, designed to address the underrepresentation of women in senior anaesthesia roles.

00:05:30: Mark Priestley discusses how leadership became his passion after joining the tripartite ASA/ANZCA/NZSA Leadership Special Interest Group five years ago, discovering that leadership development is largely absent from medical training.

00:12:45: Priestley describes the AFRACMA (Affiliated Royal College of Medical Administrators) course as valuable for understanding healthcare management, finance, and difficult conversations, delivered as half-day fortnightly sessions over six months.

00:18:20: Mark explains his transition to Head of Department at Westmead Hospital after six months’ sabbatical, emphasizing that effective leadership combines both strategic vision and day-to-day management.

00:28:40: Discussion of ASMOF (Australian Salary and Medical Officers Federation) and Priestley's advocacy for improved working conditions in New South Wales, noting that unions thrive when organisational leadership fails.

00:35:15: Mark addresses concerns about speaking publicly on contentious issues, recommending transparency with stakeholders and clear communication about media appearances to avoid ambush situations.

00:42:00: Suzi presents a four-part leadership curriculum: self-knowledge, communication and negotiation, strategic thinking and political context, and mentoring the next generation.

00:48:30: Mark emphasizes the importance of identifying core personal values and "ratcheting down the moral compass" to guide decisions when facing conflicting priorities.

00:55:45: Priestley describes his workshop on difficult conversations, based on the book "Crucial Conversations," delivered specifically to anaesthetists with clinically relevant scenarios.

01:08:20: Mark discusses the inaugural Heads of Department networking day (H2H), designed as a forum for senior leaders to discuss challenging scenarios and share expertise.

01:15:30: Priestley announces his transition from Head of Department to ANZCA Council member and ASA PIAC (Professional Issues Advisory Committee) representative, continuing his leadership contribution at a broader level.

Key Takeaways

Leadership development should begin early and continue throughout your career; it's not a single destination but a continuous learning cycle involving reflection, feedback-seeking, and strategic growth.

Self-awareness is the foundational prerequisite for all other leadership skills—you cannot effectively manage others or navigate complex situations without first understanding your own values, strengths, and limitations.

Difficult conversations are a core leadership competency that can be learned and improved through deliberate practice; avoiding them creates long-term organizational dysfunction and erodes influence.

Strategic focus requires saying "no" to good opportunities to concentrate on two or three truly important priorities; attempting everything leads to failure and burnout.

Formal credentials and titles matter less than demonstrated competence, authentic communication, and the ability to build trust with stakeholders across hierarchical levels.

Quotable Moments

"Once you've finished your training, whether it be in anaesthesia or another area completely outside of medicine, then most of your career development will be made in the area of leadership."

"If you don't know yourself, you can't manage yourself, you can't manage yourself, you can't manage others."

"The big decisions are not what you're going to do, but what you're not going to do, like deliberately actively decide to put on a back burner because the common mistake is to try too much."

"If you think the good stuff means they're talking about you, then you have to accept that maybe the bad stuff means they're talking about you and sometimes you're better off ignoring the commentary, you know, full stop."

"Unions thrive when the corporation or the organisational leadership is failing. And I think that's what's happening in New South Wales."