This is the third article in a series of seven articles on an initiative in NHS Lanarkshire. Visible clinical leaders can have a significant effect on patient care and standards of practice. Over the past decade the development of clinical leadership has focused on senior charge nurses or midwives and team leaders, that is, band 7 practitioners or above. Band 6 staff ‘act up’ in these roles and therefore need to develop the associated knowledge, skills and attributes for their current practice and future progression into such roles. This article reports on the establishment, implementation and evaluation of a clinical leadership programme developed specifically for band 6 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals at one Scottish NHS board.