Piloting New Methods to Advance Transformational Leadership in Medical Education
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
Abstract
Transformational leadership (TL) is increasingly recognized as essential for developing learning cultures that support psychological safety, teamwork, and patient‑centered care in medical education. Although TL theory has been widely discussed, many programs lack practical, scalable strategies for helping learners embody these behaviors during training. This project presents a pilot of three innovative, low‑resource methods designed to help medical and health‑profession learners practice, reflect upon, and internalize transformational leadership principles without requiring formal data collection. The pilot draws on existing literature describing TL’s core dimensions,idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration and adapts them into creative educational practices that can be integrated into clinical and classroom settings.
The first method, micro‑scenario leadership simulations, uses short, high‑ambiguity clinical or team‑based scenarios (e.g., handling conflict during rounds, navigating communication hierarchy, addressing a peer’s mistake) to give learners opportunities to take leadership roles in psychologically safe environments. The second method, reflective leadership mapping, guides learners through structured journaling prompts and critical incident reflections that connect their real training experiences to TL behaviors, encouraging deeper self‑awareness and growth. The third method, peer‑driven feedback circles, promotes shared leadership by allowing small groups to offer supportive, behavior‑specific feedback tied directly to TL dimensions. These circles help normalize leadership development as a collective process rather than an individual trait.
The overall goal of this project is to demonstrate that TL development can be supported through creative, non‑data‑dependent teaching practices that enhance the relational and reflective dimensions of medical training. These piloted methods offer a flexible framework that educators can adapt to simulation centers, small‑group teaching, interprofessional learning, and early clinical exposure.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
kim Bullington
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
kbulling@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Higher Education
College/School Affiliation
Darden College of Education & Professional Studies
Student Level Group
Graduate/Professional
Presentation Type
Poster
Piloting New Methods to Advance Transformational Leadership in Medical Education
Abstract
Transformational leadership (TL) is increasingly recognized as essential for developing learning cultures that support psychological safety, teamwork, and patient‑centered care in medical education. Although TL theory has been widely discussed, many programs lack practical, scalable strategies for helping learners embody these behaviors during training. This project presents a pilot of three innovative, low‑resource methods designed to help medical and health‑profession learners practice, reflect upon, and internalize transformational leadership principles without requiring formal data collection. The pilot draws on existing literature describing TL’s core dimensions,idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration and adapts them into creative educational practices that can be integrated into clinical and classroom settings.
The first method, micro‑scenario leadership simulations, uses short, high‑ambiguity clinical or team‑based scenarios (e.g., handling conflict during rounds, navigating communication hierarchy, addressing a peer’s mistake) to give learners opportunities to take leadership roles in psychologically safe environments. The second method, reflective leadership mapping, guides learners through structured journaling prompts and critical incident reflections that connect their real training experiences to TL behaviors, encouraging deeper self‑awareness and growth. The third method, peer‑driven feedback circles, promotes shared leadership by allowing small groups to offer supportive, behavior‑specific feedback tied directly to TL dimensions. These circles help normalize leadership development as a collective process rather than an individual trait.
The overall goal of this project is to demonstrate that TL development can be supported through creative, non‑data‑dependent teaching practices that enhance the relational and reflective dimensions of medical training. These piloted methods offer a flexible framework that educators can adapt to simulation centers, small‑group teaching, interprofessional learning, and early clinical exposure.