The NHS Plan (DoH 2000) clearly articulates the need to modernise the health service in order to deliver improvements for patients. To achieve this the NHS needs imaginative, dynamic and intelligent leadership at all levels of the system. This article aims to raise awareness and evoke thinking and reflection among nurses and allied health professionals as to the importance of effective leadership in the working environment and the value of leadership in creating a more flexible and modern workforce, responsive to the needs of patients.