Evaluation of an institutional leadership program’s impact on skills and confidence

Abstract

The Career Development for Women Leaders (CDWL) program was developed to enhance leadership skills for mid- and senior-career faculty through monthly sessions addressing leadership topics. Participants completed pre-, post-, and two-year follow-up program surveys, using items from the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine instrument. Skill and confidence changes (rated 6–7 on a 1–7 scale) were evaluated with logistic mixed models. Participants ( N = 212) with immediate post-program data ( N = 96) reported significant increases in 34 of 47 skills (72%) and all confidence items (p’s < 0.05). Large overall improvements (> 100% relative increase) in self-assessed abilities occurred, including in facilitating group decision-making (401%), negotiating employment (294%), designing effective organizations (282%), and understanding different work styles (170%). CDWL participants self-identified significant improvements in leadership skills and confidence, particularly in decision-making, negotiation, team management, and leadership self-awareness.