COMMUNITY VOICES
WHO MODELED NURSING LEADERSHIP FOR YOU?
LE ADERSHIP AC ADEMY
Investing in Faculty and Staff Guided by a myriad of leadership philosophies and the wisdom of “Ted Lasso,” School of Nursing managers and directors spent a year honing their leadership skills — underscoring the importance of trust and culturebuilding to the success of individuals and the school. While these thought leaders and Lasso were not present in person, their insights — along with others — were conveyed during a leadership academy piloted in 2022 to help participants develop leadership capabilities, foster community, and learn from and serve as a resource to each other. Larry Kihlstadius, CEO of Vistage Worldwide Inc., co-facilitated the academy’s monthly sessions. Participants reflected on themes such as authenticity and self-awareness. The academy concluded with a closing ceremony where participants presented their takeaways and how to apply them. According to cohort member Arnita Howard, the academy was distinctive
PETE WINKEL
Top: Staff cohort members share their takeaways from the academy. Bottom: Arnita Howard addresses the group.
because it was offered exclusively in the School of Nursing, making it easier to be transparent in a room with peers. "The leadership academy provided us with invaluable tools for discovering who we are as individuals, leaders and members of the organization, as we work collectively to help achieve the institution's goals," says Howard, who serves as senior assistant dean of student affairs. The ultimate goal of the academy was to foster leadership capacity in the school, which will — in turn — help the school develop nurse leaders, says Lalita Kaligotla, PhD, professor of the practice and senior director for leadership and engagement, who helped envision and co-facilitated the leadership academy. Following the pilot program’s success, the academy continued during the 2023−2024 school year with a cohort of faculty who lead academic programs at the school.
The first one was Margaret Parsons, a faculty member and former interim dean of the School of Nursing who was our class advisor and mentor. She was incredibly down to earth and could talk to you at any level. And she was always a nurse first. When you did clinicals with her at the VA, she had a tiny brass nametag that said, ‘M PARSONS, RN.’ That was it, and it always stayed with me.
Darrell Owens 90BSN, DNP, FAAN, CT Associate Medical Director of Palliative Care University of Washington Medical Center, Northwest Campus
S P R IN G 2024 | E M O R Y N U R S IN G
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