Effective Healthcare Leadership integrates theory and practice to distil the reality of healthcare leadership today. It addresses the context and explores strategies for leadership and examines the leadership skills required to implement and sustain developments in healthcare. Section one examines the contemporary context and challenges of healthcare leadership. Section two offers opportunities through the CLINLAP/LEADLAP model to see how modern management ideas, tools and techniques are used effectively in leadership development. Section three examines the role of leadership in implementing change and improving practice in different contexts of care. The final section explores future challenges in leadership.