Exploration of the Perceived Value of Self-Leadership Capacity in Physical Therapist Clinicians

Purpose: Self-leadership, or leading oneself, is a critical component of leadership linked to improved individual performance, team effectiveness, and patient and organizational outcomes. This qualitative study explores physical therapist clinicians’ perceived value of self-leadership in their clinical practice and their interactions with inter-professional team members. Method: Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants via the maximum variation strategy. Eleven licensed physical therapist clinicians with 2–39 years of clinical experience in five different clinical settings participated. Participants engaged in individual, semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Study rigour was addressed through the use of multiple coders, memoing, and member checking. Results: Four main themes emerged: developing expertise, pursuing professional growth, discovering and amplifying voice, and advocacy. The “why” behind the actions of those interviewed was to influence patient outcomes and quality of care and to address role identity as a physical therapist across multiple contexts. Conclusions: This is the first known exploration of the perceived value of self-leadership capacity in physical therapist clinicians. The study results suggest that leadership must be reframed as self-leadership, the precursor to leading others, so physical therapist clinicians can lead at all levels in everyday practice.