Completing the Academic Leadership Fellows Program During the Pandemic

DISCUSSION

To compare the program provided during the pandemic with that offered in previous years, I solicited feedback from past participants of ALFP. They indicated that the greatest strength of the program was the relationships the fellows formed with each other. I thought the virtual format would definitely present a challenge in building these relationships. I found that I had to be more purposeful and focused in making sure that I was fully engaged and participating virtually. This included proactively introducing myself to new fellows and trying to break the ice and get to know them and their story through the computer. Virtual programming can be a difficult venue for interaction and building relationships, but I think our cohort quickly found that the virtual format would not stop a group of highly motivated individuals from getting the most out of the opportunity. We were able to connect over our experiences with handling COVID at our home institutions and share stories and advice for dealing with difficult scenarios. There was more than enough to talk about, and I never felt the awkward silence that can be common in virtual settings. The relationships I formed with the fellows on my team and our dean mentor were strong because we were frequently placed in breakout rooms together for active learning activities. One large difference with the virtual format compared to an in-person format was the decreased time spent with the fellows outside of my team.

The part of the ALFP program that I felt was most impacted by the virtual format was the in-person team-building activities. Although several different team-building activities were transitioned to a virtual environment, some activities such as the ropes course and the visit to Mt Vernon were not able to happen. Additional social opportunities, such as dinners and gatherings at the meetings, also did not occur. We scheduled virtual social hours several times to connect after work and catch up on non-work-related topics. These were positive experiences that gave each of us the opportunity to interact outside the work setting and get to know each other on a more personal level. However, virtual gatherings cannot replace such opportunities in person. The ALFP administrative staff have coordinated a future in-person event for our cohort to network, team build, and formally have our graduation from the program, for which I am excited.

The primary deliverable for the ALFP is a team debate that occurs as part of the interim AACP meeting. Although we received training and team coaching sessions from a professional debater, the debate was easily the most stressful part of ALFP. The virtual format not only changed how we were able to prepare before the debate, but it also influenced the team collaborations and discussions that occurred during the debate. A large portion of the debate efforts occur in the form of response and rebuttal to counterpoints made by the opposing team. Our team had to rely on text messaging to relay thoughts and ideas to the next speaker, which was more difficult than consulting with each other in person as the debate occurred. The debates also involved audience participation to provide thoughts and questions on the topics; here, breakout rooms worked well to generate audience feedback and discussion. The sessions where the audience was able to participate generated many new ideas, and in future debates these sessions could be scheduled to provide additional time. Debate topics for Cohort 17 included whether mandatory diversity committees can drive change in the Academy, whether academia’s response to COVID-19 was a model for future pandemics, and whether pharmacy curricula should include additional entrepreneurship training for students. The debates pushed us out of our comfort zones and required us to enhance our communication and teamwork to perform at a high level. Although the debates were very different from prior years, there was a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after they were delivered. Many past cohorts have published guidance documents or statement papers related to their debate topics. ^1-3 The two teams involved in our debate topic have since worked together on a manuscript, which generated even more networking and was a great opportunity to get to know fellows outside of one’s team.

Participating in the ALFP program is a considerable investment, both financially and in the time commitment for the fellow and their home college. Creating a plan for local mentorship, topic discussions, and dedicated opportunities to put the leadership lessons learned into practice may be just as important as the actual program itself. The program curriculum is four weeks long, but fellows should expect to invest significantly more time to get the most out of the program. Examples of the additional time commitment include session prereadings, debate meetings and preparation, local mentorship discussions with college- and university-level leaders, and managing a college-level leadership project. ⁴ The local mentorship discussions with college and university leadership are crucial. These conversations allowed me to discuss what I learned from ALFP and explore how I could incorporate these lessons into my leadership approach. It also provided me additional feedback on my leadership style from people that have known me for an extended period. With my existing leadership experience being mostly at the college level, discussing how effective leadership is different at the university level was beneficial. It was also very beneficial to have similar discussions with my current college dean and ALFP dean mentor to see how their perspectives differed. Having support from local mentors, opportunities to put leadership into practice, and getting feedback at the college level are important supplements to what is learned in ALFP. Prior fellows and deans who have participated in ALFP can serve as champions to help design a local curriculum for the fellow based on their experiences.