iLEAD graduates a new group of faculty leaders

Leadership is not a lifetime achievement award.

That is the message UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., shared with the 31 graduates of the 2015 Interprofessional Leadership for Excellence and Academic Development (iLEAD) program.

The 2015 graduating iLEAD cohort. (For a list of names, see sidebar.)

“Leadership comes from education and studying the lessons learned,” he said, adding, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. But it doesn’t have to be your bad judgment.”

The nine-month iLEAD program provides a course of study in leadership.

iLEAD’s mission is the intentional cultivation of leaders on campus. This intensive Faculty Development program brings proven leadership techniques to health sciences education in an interprofessional environment. Principles important to successful leadership are presented in didactic sessions, practiced in small group exercises, and then applied in projects selected by each of the participants.

The graduates covered topics that included:

• developing your personal leadership style;
• leading change and measuring risk;
• conflict resolution;
• leadership communication across silos and professions;
• dealing with difficult challenges and people;
• strengths analysis;
• building and leading teams
• the art of negotiation;
• financial accountability;
• managing personal and organizational performance; and
• managing up and the power of followership.

At the closing event, Dr. Gold congratulated the group on completing the program.

“I see a tremendous amount of energy here, and the future of our organizations,” he told the faculty members.

He talked of his growing interest in leadership early in his career, and the avenues he took to advance his education in leadership – including courses like iLEAD.

“When these opportunities become available to you, take them,” he said.