For the past year, Kaiser Permanente’s Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Hamilton, has been meeting with the Emerging Senior Leader Journal Club – comprised of a select group of diverse and talented leaders in Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States – with the goal of better positioning leaders to create a positive impact in current and future roles. The club meets once each month for two hours to discuss pre-selected articles.
Members of the Emerging Senior Leader Journal Club have experienced a range of benefits from their participation in the monthly sessions, with the ultimate benefit being the opportunity to help create a psychologically safe environment for minorities to learn, grow, and feel supported. Monthly discussions have centered around strengthening teams, facilitating high-level meetings, communication, emotional intelligence, setting expectations, inspiring staff, use of data, and a host of other critical leadership topics.
The Emerging Senior Leader Journal Club is comprised of a diverse group of leaders – not only in ethnicity – but in gender, age, and experience as well. This has resulted in leaders who have become more confident in operating successfully in an environment with ever-changing demands, while also leading with authenticity. An additional benefit for individuals in this cohort has been the opportunity to network with leaders across the organization, which directly translates to strong partnerships in achieving day-to-day organizational priorities.
When asked if they would recommend the Emerging Senior Leader Journal Club to other leaders within Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, the answer was clear: absolutely! Leaders in the current cohort would recommend this opportunity to leaders with diverse backgrounds who are looking for a safe space to build connections while emerging as a successful senior leader.
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has always been committed to cultivating a diverse environment that allows leaders to build new skillsets. The Emerging Senior Leader Journal Club is one of many initiatives in place to create a stronger, more cohesive organization that is representative of the communities we serve.
