Context/background: Though I am not in a formal leadership position, my quest to learn and grow has taken me on a personal journey of discovery as I undertook a leadership course based on practice development principles to influence a technical environment – biomedical engineering – within a hospital.

Aim: To explore my journey, sharing my experiences as a biomedical technician exposed to practice development and demonstrate how I recognised changes in my behaviour and values, and how these provided the stimulus for influencing my colleagues.

Conclusions and implications for practice: The role of coaching has been instrumental as the catalyst for supporting me in change. The regular platform of support and guidance provided direction when the view ahead was unclear. Writing reflections provided clarity and enabled insight, leading to action. The resultant increase in confidence and a clearer vision of the future for the department allowed me to implement processes to promote change within my team.

• Practice development principles and processes can be effectively used in a technical environment like biomedical engineering
• Engaging people who have no knowledge or exposure to practice development can result in meaningful change
• An individual who is not in a formal leadership position can still  influence the team in which he or she works

This article by Anthony Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 License.