Our essential journey. A Denver system decides to "grow" its own leadership

Last year Provenant Health Partners (PHP), a Denver healthcare system, decided it would begin to "grow" new lay leaders. The idea was to allow PHP personnel to self-select themselves as potential leaders and to guide their development so their daily work would come to reflect the system's heritage and values. PHP is part of Sisters of Charity Health Care Systems (SCHCS), based in Cincinnati. As a foundation for its project, PHP had its senior and middle managers participate in SCHCS's Values in Leadership program, which increases leaders' awareness of their role as stewards of Jesus' healing ministry and encourages them to develop effective skills based on their sponsor's core values. PHP then formed an 11-person leadership development planning team representing its three hospitals and various system departments. The team drafted a plan which encourages PHP leaders and potential leaders to develop leadership skills with the aid of feedback from their colleagues. PHP is currently fine-tuning the plan in a pilot project. In addition to using the plan to develop leaders, the system is considering adapting it for use in employment screening, intraorganizational promotion, and the allocation of educational funds.