LEAD Academy: Leading Yourself, Engaging Others

ABGC’s Leadership Education Advancement Development (LEAD) Academy offers online training programs aimed at helping certified genetic counselors build leadership skills to advance their careers. One program offered is Fundamental Four: The Four Skills Every Leader Needs To Be Successful. This four-week course teaches leadership competencies proven to be essential at all leadership levels: self-awareness, learning agility, influence and communication.

Two genetic counselors — Chinmayee Bhimarao Nagaraj, MS, CGC®, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Melissa Racobaldo, MS, CGC®, University of South Florida, Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Metabolism — shared their experiences taking the course, including key takeaways and recommendations for future students.
 

What made you decide to participate in LEAD Academy?

Chinmayee Bhimarao Nagaraj (CBN): I saw this as a chance to formally explore the topic of leadership and expand upon my existing skills to apply in my current roles as well as prepare for future opportunities.

Melissa Racobaldo (MR): I had been acting as a supervisor/leader for several months and was getting ready to transition into a more formal leadership position. I value self-awareness and a growth mindset and thought this would be a great opportunity to learn more about the values a leader possesses and how to motivate team members.

How would you describe the program’s scope?

CBN: The program covers four main topics or skills important in a leader. Each topic takes a few hours to review, and the content is mostly bite-sized, with apt exercises and reflection questions.

MR: I really liked the format of the program, how it focused on intrinsic characteristics first and then extrinsic, as I think the greatest tool we have is awareness of ourselves and our motivations, how they can differ from other individuals and how to use this awareness to our advantage. The time commitment was very manageable. You could do some sections spread out over a few days or one overall section in one day.

What was your biggest takeaway from the program?

CBN: My biggest takeaway was being able to think about leadership skills in concise terms and a structured way. What this course provides is guidance on the skills we may need as a leader in any position.

MR: You are more likely to succeed as a leader when you are most aware of how you can positively influence your team members and make changes for the greater good. You can never be stagnant as an individual, let alone as a leader, so by setting good examples for your team, you can motivate them to achieve common goals.

Why do you think it’s important for ABGC to continue offering programs like this?

MR: ABGC focuses on education for genetic counselors, and it is important to offer education through less-traditional avenues, such as leadership opportunities. Genetic counselors are able to take on more leadership roles than ever before, but leadership isn’t always a skill that is learned or taught during our formal training programs.

CBN: With the speed of our profession’s growth, the capabilities of individuals in this field and the potential of our scope, it is very important to be discussing topics such as leadership and equipping genetic counselors with such skills.

What would you tell other certified genetic counselors considering participating?

CBN: This program is broad enough in its scope that it could be useful for professionals at any stage of their leadership journey. It may be a repetition of some of what we already know, but some exercises may provide good ideas that we can use with our teams. Overall, it is certainly a good venue to help anyone approach leadership skills in a structured way.

MR: I found it really enlightening to be able to get back in touch with myself and the qualities that make me a good team player and leader outside of my role as a genetic counselor and patient advocate. It was a great opportunity to be able to connect with other counselors in similar roles who I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to meet. There were many opportunities for self-reflection and even input from team members that I work directly with, so that sort of feedback was really eye-opening and something I may not have gotten outside of this course.