Why Early Career?

Early-career faculty benefit from structured leadership development programs because the shift into independent academic roles demands strong "leading self" skills (e.g., self-awareness, emotional intelligence, time management, alignment of values with professional actions) that are rarely taught explicitly. Developing these foundational capacities early strengthens faculty effectiveness across teaching, research, and service as their responsibilities grow. In fact, recent research has shown that participants of early career leadership development programs demonstrate higher rates of promotion, lower rates of institutional departure, and are more likely to attain a leadership role (Ribera et al. Acad Med 2026). The ELDP program consists of ten 90-minute, in-person sessions with content aligned with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) framework, emphasizing personal leadership growth as the basis for later leading others and leading organizations. Each session incorporates technology-driven applied practice, AI-powered coaching, peer mentoring, and structured reflection to help participants internalize concepts and translate them into daily habits. An individualized learning plan based on an initial 360 assessment further supports ongoing self-directed development tailored to each participant's strengths and goals.