Leadership Development Programs: Can we influence identity?

Abstract

The Institute for Leadership Development inspires participants to strengthen competencies while building a personalized leadership development plan. This study explores the impact of the competency-based program on participants’ development of a personal leadership identity. Results from this mixed methods evaluation provide evidence that the Institute for Leadership Development positively impacted participants’ development of leadership identity. Leadership identity can serve as an important driver to advance a leadership culture to support sustainable progress in complex healthcare organizations. This study demonstrates that the competency- based program at UAB improved leadership self-identity and that the participants, for the most part, have internalized their identity as leaders within the organization.