Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. It takes a special set of skills that makes others want to follow a leader’s direction. In academic physical therapy – and even for practicing PTs – we’re striving for excellence, so mastering the leadership skills is an on-going endeavor!
To help physical therapy academic administrators, faculty, clinical educators and students reach for leadership excellence, the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy’s (ACAPT) Leadership Academy has created the Leadership Compass – the first PT education-focused set of leadership outcomes.
Leadership, for the purpose of this framework, is defined as turning a shared vision into reality. It is the responsibility of all to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors to lead as a positive force for inspiration, motivation and direction.
The Compass is a tool with a set of learning outcomes that describe critical leadership skills, plus resources in 12 key areas, serving as a tool for leadership development.
The learning outcomes are organized in three spheres for each major category:
- Developing (outcomes related to leading self)
- Relating (outcomes related to leading others)
- Influencing (outcomes related to mentoring others to lead)
The Compass includes a self-assessment document that you can use to help you set a plan for your leadership skill development.
Start honing your leadership skills with the Compass today!