ELP for Upcoming Leaders is designed for early-career laboratory professionals who are ready to develop the foundational leadership skills they need to take their next professional step. We select laboratorians from state, local, environmental and agricultural laboratories who demonstrate strong leadership potential and a willingness to grow, take on new challenges and engage with honest feedback.
Participants engage in practical experiences that develop core leadership capabilities, foster teamwork and expand their professional networks. The program doesn’t shy away from the real challenges facing public health laboratories. Instead, it prepares participants to navigate them with clarity and confidence.
Graduation isn’t the endpoint. Alumni stay connected across regions and cohorts, building a community that continues to learn, collaborate and influence the future of the public health laboratory workforce.
APHL offers two modalities for the Emerging Leader Program for Upcoming leaders: hybrid and virtual. Applicants will specify their preference for either the hybrid or virtual modality on their application form.
The hybrid modality features virtual monthly sessions, complemented by in-person meetings.
Beyond the standard curriculum, the Hybrid Modality collaborates on a project that addresses pressing challenges in the public health laboratory workforce. These projects result in innovative tools, guides and resources designed to strengthen leadership, workforce development and operational excellence across the laboratory community.
The virtual modality is conducted entirely online.
Beyond the standard curriculum, the Virtual Modality participants individually complete projects within their respective laboratories and support cohort members’ projects from afar by providing feedback, recommendations and potential insights into similar efforts at their laboratories.
By the end of the program, participants will have honed their leadership skills, strengthening their proficiency in a wide range of essential competencies, which may include:
- Skills necessary to advance into managerial and supervisory roles
- Mastery in delegation and task management
- Strengthened motivation, teamwork, and collaboration skills
- Effective mentoring and coaching techniques
- Heightened emotional intelligence for effective leadership
- Improved relations and advocacy skills with key individuals
- Advanced proficiency in conflict resolution and problem-solving strategies
- Strategic thinking refined to navigate complex challenges
- Expertise in change management methodologies
- Refined communication skills for impactful leadership
- Proficient resource management techniques
- And an extensive range of additional skills vital for successful leadership
Participants will:
- Attend in-person sessions (hybrid modality only)
- Attend monthly virtual skills-based sessions
- Complete pre-session and post-session assignments
- Participate in an optional virtual peer-to-peer coaching program
- Participate in the Emerging Leader Community of Practice (an online forum)
The timelines below outline the typical structure of the modalities. Specific dates will vary by cohort. Exact session dates, deadlines and requirements will be provided in the application materials for the cohort to which you are applying. Detailed application deadlines and requirements will be shared here when the application period opens.
To be eligible for ELP, you must meet the general eligibility criteria, in addition to the program-specific criteria:
