As Dean, I’m committed to developing leaders in all areas, especially among demographic groups that are under-represented in academic leadership today. It is not only an important part of each person’s career development, it’s vital to succession planning, as well as the continued growth of our College, its curriculum, research and outreach.
The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), of which OVC is a member, recognizes this important area and has devoted resources to provide skill development to faculty of member institutions. The AAVMC Leadership Academy was launched in 2012, with support from Elanco, to provide leadership development for emerging leaders in academia. While there are many types of leadership training available, the AAVMC’s program focuses on developing tomorrow’s leaders in academic veterinary medicine.
I am pleased to be part of the AAVMC committee overseeing this program as work continues to further its development. Current leads are Karen Cornell, from Texas A&M University, and Darcy Shaw, from the University of Prince Edward Island.
From left: Doug Freeman, Dean, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, (WCVM); Shayan Sharif, Ontario Veterinary College Department of Pathobiology; Jeff Wichtel, Dean, Ontario Veterinary College; Greg Keefe, Dean Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC); Heather Gunn-McQuillan, Hospital Director, AVC; Darcy Shaw, Professor (retired) AVC; Lynne Sandmeyer, Professor, WCVM; in Washington during the AAVMC Annual Conference and Leadership Academy.
The program explores the components of effective leadership through three recurring threads at each of three sessions over a year: communication skills, emotional intelligence, and living leadership or applied leadership skills.
The communication component includes experiential sessions with peers and facilitators on interpersonal communication skills, exploring methods for meaningful and effective conversations in challenging areas, along with media strategies and techniques for managing and resolving conflict.
The emotional intelligence thread focuses on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management and the role leaders play in developing a positive climate and enhancing diversity in their workplace.
The focus on living leadership or applied leadership skills brings all these components into play, looking at strategic thinking and management in an academic setting, exploring advocacy, fundraising and development, and adaptive leadership.
Program participants also hear from individuals who have worked at the highest levels of university administration, learning more about their personal philosophies on leadership development, what they see as the most critical issues facing veterinary medicine and the leadership competencies necessary to navigate these issues successfully.
In addition to skill development, the program provides additional value, offering participants an opportunity to network with international colleagues, as well as veterinary and government organizations.
Each two-day session takes place in a different city, with the most recent installment in Washington, D.C. during the AAVMC annual conference. In this instance, the curriculum focused on issues such as advocacy with government and lawmakers, government relations and decision making. U.S. participants took advantage of the opportunity to visit their government representative. Our Canadian contingent, including current program participant Shayan Sharif, from OVC’s Department of Pathobiology and leader the Poultry Health Research Network, visited the Canadian Embassy and the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) in Washington DC, discussing issues of common interest.
This program is, of course, only one example of the many opportunities for professional development in this important area. Leadership skills are nurtured and developed in many ways, sometimes quite informally by encouraging and mentoring students, staff and faculty as they take on new challenges in the workplace. Within OVC, we have student club leadership and our own student orientation programs. I hope to expand in-house opportunities as we roll out our organizational health initiatives over the coming years.
Examples of other formal programs well suited to developing the next generation of veterinary academic leaders include:
Veterinary Leadership Experience
CVMA Emerging Leaders Program
The American Association of Veterinary Clinicians (AAVC) Residents’ Leadership and Professional Development Conference
The Womens’ Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative
http://www.wvldi.org/
Penn Executive Veterinary Leadership Program
We have leaders in every area of our organization – staff, students and faculty. They are the colleagues and peers you work with each day who provide guidance, who motivate and inspire, who promote learning, who bring teams together and share their knowledge in their area of expertise.
I look forward to continue developing this important area. I also look forward to hearing from you if this is an area you are interested in exploring further.