Salima S.J. Ladak, a nurse practitioner for more than 15 years, believes effective leaders are those who can recognize leadership in others and influence change in a positive way. “True leadership recognizes that everyone has input and…their ideas count,” she says. Ladak, who works as an NP for Toronto General Hospital, provides direct clinical care to patients with complex acute and persistent pain. During the COVID pandemic, she has helped to ensure that outpatients continue to receive satisfactory pain management.  She also helps to develop programs and models to support patient care. In 2019, she created an interprofessional approach to effectively manage patients’ pain and opioid use disorder that was later presented at Canadian Pain Society. By using this approach, health professionals can better utilize other hospital services, so patients can get the help they need in the hospital. Ladak also takes time to provide leadership to colleagues, co-ordinating activities for knowledge translation and capacity building. Going forward, she would like to continue advocating for patients, especially those who are marginalized. She wants to ensure they have access to health care and support. “My vision is to lead a program in a more strategic way to help people cope with…acute or chronic pain and/or opioid use disorder.”