Between principle and compromise: We are all meat in someone else's sandwich

Clinical leadership and workforce management are high profile topics in many recent healthcare journals and frequently the focus of discussion in this sectors dynamic environment. Emergency physicians, like their cousins in other medical specialties, are required to work collaboratively within an increasingly complex system in order to optimise the clinical outcomes of their patients. This article presents a reflective analysis using a fictional character, Ulysses, who encounters traps and potholes in his journey to clinical leadership and management enlightenment.