AMA Victoria launched its leadership coaching service in 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, more and more doctors—at all career stages—have engaged in leadership coaching to support their professional development. Whether they are preparing for or taking up new leadership roles, navigating challenges in their current positions, or working to reset culture within their teams and units, coaching has provided a confidential space for reflection, planning, and growth.

What is leadership coaching?

Leadership coaching is a tailored blend of pure coaching and leadership development education. One-on-one coaching offers a secure and supportive space to explore professional challenges, with the client setting the agenda and goals for each session. The coaching process expands thinking and deepens understanding through discussion, questions, reflection, and association.

Leadership coaching sharpens this focus by directing attention to the leadership roles and responsibilities that doctors take on alongside their clinical and technical work. At times, the coach may also take on an educator role, drawing on leadership concepts and skills to support effective leadership practice — always in a way that aligns with the conversation and the client’s needs.

What does our coaching service offer?

Our coaching service expanded further in 2024, with more members engaging in coaching programs and many renewing their programs as part of their ongoing professional development. We offer:

• Single coaching sessions
• Six-session programs (scheduled over six months) 
• Ten-session programs (scheduled over 12 months)

Feedback from 2024 participants highlights the impact of coaching:

“Coaching provides a safe space for self-reflection. Through insightful questioning, coaching explores new possibilities—both for my current role and future career. I now see it as part of my continuous improvement plan and look forward to continuing my leadership journey with this support.”

“I entered the program with an open but skeptical mind and was pleasantly surprised by how helpful it was—both personally and professionally, for myself and my unit. The group program gave me a structured approach to reviewing my team, identifying limitations, and putting my ideas into action, all while working towards a better work-life balance.”

How does coaching work?

Coaching is a structured conversation in a confidential space, where trust and support allow for deep discussion of challenges. The coach’s role is to help expand thinking—providing perspective, offering insights, and drawing on experience and research to support learning and development.

As a coach, my guiding principle is to create a space that allows for expanded thinking—about yourself, your work, and the challenges and opportunities you face. My approach is built on:

• Listening deeply
• Asking thoughtful, challenging questions
• Remembering what has been shared and offering reflections where helpful
• Providing expertise where relevant—as a social psychologist and leadership coach, I draw on research and experience to support leadership development and share resources when appropriate.

Coaching is not about offering advice or prescribing solutions. It is about facilitating clarity, sparking curiosity, and helping individuals explore new perspectives, shift mindsets, and consider possibilities they may not have previously seen.

Meet our leadership coach

Dr. Anna Clark (PhD) is a social psychologist with over 18 years of experience working in business schools and designing leadership development programs in Australia and overseas. Since 2020, Anna has led AMA Victoria’s leadership development offerings, including the Emerging Leader and Middle Leader programs , as well as the leadership coaching service.

Members can connect with Anna for a Leader Check-in.