Book excerpt: The Six P's of Physician Leadership is an executive and academically focused primer that identifies six essential issues for every current, up and coming, and potential physician leader that they can incorporate in their daily work and life. It brings a fresh understanding on the topics of people, presence, politics, process, perspective, and principles of business that are targeted to physician leaders but with universal application in leadership development. The authors explore each of the P's in unequal amounts and raise your awareness of their relevance to physician leadership. Written from experience gained as a physician executive and a business strategist who has worked to understand the essence of the dilemmas and challenges faced by physicians in the transition from the cottage industry of the twentieth-century to today's evolving clinically integrated care delivery environment. The book concludes with a glimpse of additional critical issues that include governance, career management and work-life balance. Becoming a leader and remaining a great leader is a personal journey of self-development. In the physician realm, there are minimal resources directed to their unique circumstances. With a global health care system that is rapidly evolving in the digital age more physician leaders will be required to champion organizational transformation across the global healthcare landscape. An industry level renaissance to support systemic challenges is occurring in healthcare and the need to cultivate leadership essentials has never been more important.