Purpose and Overview
- The Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) develops and supports leaders in the Academy that contribute to the advancement of pharmacy education, higher education, and the pharmacy profession.
- Fellows are selected and participate in a longitudinal program consisting of 4 in-person sessions and 4-6 (1-hour) virtual sessions over the course of the year. There are 35 fellows in a cohort. Fellows in the cohort are assigned to a longitudinal team assigned a Dean Leadership Facilitator that facilitate the in-person sessions and provide external mentoring.
- Fellows also develop an individualized plan with an assigned Dean Mentor from their home institution. The Dean Mentor does not participate or travel to the four in-person sessions of ALFP. The purpose is discuss and apply what the Fellow has learned at the sessions throughout the year to their local context.
ALFP Learning Objectives:
1. Develop leadership skills through the process of self-discovery and reflection.
2. Cultivate a network of colleagues for support and mentorship.
3. Apply leadership concepts and theories within academic pharmacy.
4. Enhance leadership and management skills to build an executive presence.
5. Create a leadership philosophy that can guide your leadership journey.
Sessions Overview
Session I
Leadership and Self: Discovery and Teamwork
Session I sets the tone for the year-long Fellows program. The objective of this session is for the Fellow to look within to realize and understand their personal strengths and weaknesses, enhance their knowledge of leadership theories/frameworks, build their leadership skills, and cultivate a network of peers.
Session I involves:
- classroom and outdoor activities to discover individual strengths and team-building
- discuss leadership theories
- apply leadership skills
- develop a network of support and shared experiences with cohort members
- create a leadership philosophy
Session II
Leadership Potpourri: Constructing Skills, Historical Perspectives and Higher Education
The second session of the year-long Fellow’s program involves further discovery of self and leadership skills building. Session II also involves viewing leadership from a historical perspective.
Components of Session II include:
- develop critical leadership skills based on many "soft skills" rooted in emotion, relationships, and communication
- visit a museum to discuss the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and leadership
- visit Mt. Vernon, estate and home of the George Washington Presidential Library to learn about leadership from a historical perspective
Session III
Current Topics in Leadership, Leading to Wellbeing, and Debating Current Topics in Academic Pharmacy
Session III involves one and one-half days of additional presentations and leadership discussion followed by attendance at the Interim meeting. The Fellows will be included in the Interim meeting programming by participating in a Fellows debate about controversial topics in academic pharmacy.
Session III involves:
- apply leadership theories and skills to current leadership case studies
- discuss the importance of wellbeing for leaders
- debates of current topics in academic pharmacy
Session IV
Refining Leadership Skills and Graduation
The final session of the year-long program provides the opportunity for the Fellows to culminate their learning experiences over the year. The day ends with a graduation ceremony and dinner in honor of the Leadership Fellows. Fellows will attend the Annual Meeting and present a poster highlighting key findings about their current topic covered in the debate.
Session IV involves:
- develop and enhance an executive presence
- discuss a variety of topics about leadership and management
- celebrate a successful year of leadership development and become an official ALFP alumnus
- present an ALFP poster at Annual Meeting
Suggested Discussions and Activities for the Fellow and Dean Mentor at the Home Institution
The success of Fellows participating in ALFP is the sharing of knowledge and experience by the Dean Mentor and applying information the Fellow learned at the ALFP sessions to local contexts at the home institution. The following are suggested topics and activities to consider when creating the individual mentoring plan at the home institution.
Topics for discussion:
- Leadership style and philosophy
- Policy and university governance
- Legal issues in higher education
- Career advancement activities
- Human resource management
- Strategic planning
- Advocacy at the local, state, and national level
- Budgeting and finance considerations
- Leading versus managing
- Empowerment and delegation
- Change management
- Creating a healthy culture in the workplace
- Leading an organization within an organization
Activities to consider:
- Scheduled meetings with other leaders on campus (e.g., President, Provost, Vice-Provost, Dean from another school)
- Special project assigned by the Dean
- Discussion of articles from Harvard Business Review on leadership and management issues
- Select 2 of the books from the ALFP program and have a book club discussion
- Have a Fellow exchange with another Fellow/Dean Mentor pair to gain a different perspective