Leading the Way: An Overview of Leadership in Canadian Academic Neurosurgery.
- 1Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- 2Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Section of Neurosurgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- 3Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
Background and objectives
Leadership is essential for advancing patient care, education, and health system performance within neurosurgery. However, the demographic composition, career pathways, and lived experiences of academic neurosurgical leaders in Canada remain poorly characterized. To describe the current landscape of formal leadership in Canadian academic neurosurgery and explore leadership pathways, competencies, barriers, and perspectives using a mixed-methods analysis.Methods
A mixed-methods study was conducted across 14 accredited Canadian academic neurosurgery programs. A cross-sectional analysis identified neurosurgeons holding formal leadership roles in 2024 to 2025 using publicly available data. Demographics, training background, subspecialty, advanced degrees, and scholarly productivity were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Eligible leaders were invited to participate in semistructured interviews, analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.Results
Forty-four neurosurgeons occupying formal leadership positions were identified. Leadership roles were predominantly held by males (n = 37, 84%), with no association between sex and leadership attainment (odds ratio 0.93, 95% CI [0.36-2.71], P = .82). Median publications were 61 (IQR 27-132), and the h-index was 19 (IQR 12-33). Twenty-five leaders (57%) participated in qualitative interviews. Seven interconnected themes emerged: (1) nonlinear leadership entry and career trajectory, (2) legitimacy grounded in clinical and academic credibility, (3) limited formal leadership training, (4) influence of identity and culture, (5) incentive structures shaping leadership engagement, (6) essential leadership competencies, and (7) consensus-based, service-oriented leadership styles.Conclusion
Leadership in Canadian academic neurosurgery is shaped by informal career pathways, reliance on professional credibility, and limited structured leadership development. Structured mentorship, formal training, and institutional incentives are needed to support future neurosurgical leaders.
Related
- Leadership in Academic Medicine: Lessons We Can Learn from the Military
- Female leadership across ophthalmology subspecialties: a cross-sectional study of academic leadership roles
- Empathic Leadership in Healthcare Drives Experience and Workforce Stability: Insights From a Leading Healthcare Organization
- Leading under uncertainty: a qualitative case study of crisis leadership in Canada’s health system
- A generalizable pipeline for specialty-curated postmarket device surveillance: a reference implementation in neurosurgery
BibTeX
@article{rossong2026leading,
title = {{Leading the Way: An Overview of Leadership in Canadian Academic Neurosurgery.}},
author = {Heather Rossong and Catherine Veilleux and John M Oesch and Steph Casha and Jay Riva-Cambrin},
journal = {Neurosurgery practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1227/neuprac.0000000000000305},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910100},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Leading the Way: An Overview of Leadership in Canadian Academic Neurosurgery.
AU - Heather Rossong
AU - Catherine Veilleux
AU - John M Oesch
AU - Steph Casha
AU - Jay Riva-Cambrin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Neurosurgery practice
DO - 10.1227/neuprac.0000000000000305
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910100
AB - Background and objectives Leadership is essential for advancing patient care, education, and health system performance within neurosurgery. However, the demographic composition, career pathways, and lived experiences of academic neurosurgical leaders in Canada remain poorly characterized. To describe the current landscape of formal leadership in Canadian academic neurosurgery and explore leadership pathways, competencies, barriers, and perspectives using a mixed-methods analysis.Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted across 14 accredited Canadian academic neurosurgery programs. A cross-sectional analysis identified neurosurgeons holding formal leadership roles in 2024 to 2025 using publicly available data. Demographics, training background, subspecialty, advanced degrees, and scholarly productivity were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Eligible leaders were invited to participate in semistructured interviews, analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.Results Forty-four neurosurgeons occupying formal leadership positions were identified. Leadership roles were predominantly held by males (n = 37, 84%), with no association between sex and leadership attainment (odds ratio 0.93, 95% CI [0.36-2.71], P = .82). Median publications were 61 (IQR 27-132), and the h-index was 19 (IQR 12-33). Twenty-five leaders (57%) participated in qualitative interviews. Seven interconnected themes emerged: (1) nonlinear leadership entry and career trajectory, (2) legitimacy grounded in clinical and academic credibility, (3) limited formal leadership training, (4) influence of identity and culture, (5) incentive structures shaping leadership engagement, (6) essential leadership competencies, and (7) consensus-based, service-oriented leadership styles.Conclusion Leadership in Canadian academic neurosurgery is shaped by informal career pathways, reliance on professional credibility, and limited structured leadership development. Structured mentorship, formal training, and institutional incentives are needed to support future neurosurgical leaders.
SN - 2834-4383
ER -