Clinician's Commentary on Desveaux et al.1

Despite growing recognition of the importance of leadership to a profession's growth and development, leadership in physical therapy remains under-researched and poorly understood. 2,3 Desveaux and colleagues' study contributes valuable information about the characteristics of physical therapy managers and academics in Canada – two cohorts of physical therapists who may be considered leaders within the profession. The research output of physical therapy academics drives changes in practice and provides evidence for the treatment techniques and care that physical therapists provide; academics are also often involved in the teaching and development of students on whom the future of the profession most depends. Physical therapy managers can be considered to be leaders in the profession because of their formal positions of authority and the leadership component of their role. Desveaux and colleagues used an online survey, the Clifton StrengthsFinder (CSF) (Gallup Organization; Princeton, NJ), to assess the personality characteristics that physical therapy leaders exhibit in managerial or academic roles. The CSF was developed by educational psychologist Donald O. Clifton to answer the question, ''What would happen if we studied what is right with people?'' 4 The philosophy of the strengths approach is that people can gain more by building on their greatest talents than by expending a comparable amount of energy to address their weaknesses. 5 In Desveaux and colleagues' study, the Learner and Achiever strengths were found to be most prevalent among both managers and academics, which, according to the authors, suggests that ''all physical therapy leaders in management or academia should possess the drive to succeed and engage in continual learning to meet staff expectations and the increasing demands of health care delivery and education.'' 1 Continual learning is a central concept in physical therapy, reflected in the profession's emphasis on continuing professional development , which is now mandatory in many countries; 6 personal drive and the ambition to achieve have been identified as key leader traits. 7,8 Differences were observed in the secondary characteristics exhibited by the two groups: while managers exhibited strengths of Harmony and Connectedness, Empathy and Intellection were prevalent strengths among academics. Desveaux and colleagues recognize that leadership prototypes exhibit a set of characteristics rather than a single critical feature. This is an appropriate approach to take, as it acknowledges the complex nature of leadership and the fact that what works in one context may be less effective in another. Substantial new thinking and a growing …