The evolving radiology landscape: the importance of effective leadership

Advances in technology and imaging techniques have propelled radiology into the centre of diagnostic and therapeutic medicine. However, all this success has come at a price, with radiology departments persistently struggling to keep up with increasing demand. In response, radiologists in many countries are giving up an increasing proportion of their traditional workload, often driven by teleradiology, causing them to become less visible within their organizations. As such, radiologists now risk being viewed as commodities by their peers. The failure to meet the increasing stakeholder expectations is, at least in part, due to lack of radiology leadership. While the drivers for the radiology profession and the organizational structures for radiologists vary from country to country, this article will discuss the characteristics of good leadership and how these can be used to ensure radiologists remain centre stage in the provision of high-quality clinical care in any healthcare environment.