Mid-career Faculty: Reframing Leadership to Blaze Your Path Forward

As they work toward promotion and/or tenure, the focus of early-career DPT and PTA faculty members is directed toward development in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. These skills will always be important for faculty development, but as they reach mid-career many faculty members find themselves seeking leadership skill development to help navigate evolving institutional, educational, and healthcare landscapes. Individual mid-career faculty members may also seek resources to “lead where they are” or support them in moving into formal leadership positions.

This session is designed to provide mid-career DPT and PTA faculty members with the knowledge and resources to support continued development of leadership skills. The American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) Leadership Compass provides a framework to support three spheres of influence: skills for leading yourself (developing), skills for working with others (relating), and skills for mentoring others (influencing). Participants will engage in guided activities to explore these spheres of influence through four leadership frames: political, structural, human resources, and symbolic.

Through reflection, collaboration, and peer coaching, learners will self-assess current leadership skills and needs, and will set personal leadership goals. During this session, the speakers will facilitate small group consultation on leadership challenges and invite attendees to participate in post-conference group and peer-to-peer coaching sessions with each other and the session speakers.