Interest in professionalism and leadership has increased within the nursing and midwifery community. The NHS Lanarkshire Practice Development Centre established a study day on these concepts for band 5 practitioners. This formed part of NHS Lanarkshire’s implementation of Scotland’s nursing and midwifery leadership development strategy, Leading Better Care. The aims of the study day were to reinforce individual professional responsibility, promote the principles of professionalism and explore the concept of leadership in the band 5 role. This article reports on the development, implementation and evaluation of the study day.