We are stronger together: A journey in leadership and identity

In celebration of Black History Month, Dr John Okocha reflects on leadership, mentorship and identity, and the importance of representation in shaping the future of general practice.

Finding strength in community

We are stronger together. It’s a phrase I have come to live by, not just in clinical practice, but in leadership, mentorship, and in the spaces where identity meets purpose.

As a Black GP Registrar, I have seen how solidarity and visibility can transform isolation into empowerment. As I prepare to begin my FMLM National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow role with Deloitte, I carry with me the stories, struggles and strengths of those who came before, and those who are still finding their voice.

Balancing training and mentorship

I am a GP Registrar based in Hull, and a GP Registrar Lead for RCGP’s Humber and Ridings Faculty. Alongside my clinical training, I have found real fulfilment in mentoring peers, supporting them through the challenges of GP training and helping them to thrive.

These moments remind me that representation is not just symbolic, it is strategic. It changes outcomes.

A year of growth and opportunity

In 2023 to 2024, I took a year out of training as a Future Leaders Programme Fellow, working with regional GP leadership and the National Enhance teams to embed NHS England’s Enhancing Generalist Skills programme in GP training.

It was a truly transformative year. The fellowship gave me the opportunity to develop my leadership potential, deliver a number of quality improvement projects, and further my interest in medical education as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Leeds.

During this time, I also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Practice, Management and Education at the University of Central Lancashire, and began a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Sheffield.

Overcoming imposter syndrome

Beneath the surface, however, I wrestled with imposter syndrome, often wondering if I truly belonged in rooms where decisions were being made."

My reflective piece, The Journey from Doing to Being (BMJ Leader, October 2024), explores how I learned to embrace compassionate leadership. I began to show patience with myself as I moved from novice to competent, while contributing to a workplace culture that values its team members and encourages everyone to bring their whole, authentic selves to work.

Honouring legacy, shaping the future

Black History Month is a time to honour legacy, but also to shape it. As I step into national leadership, I do so with gratitude for those who paved the way, and with determination to widen the path for those yet to come.