The GLASS tool: a new lens for evaluating generalist leadership competencies for medical education

Recent shifts in medical education have moved curricula away from siloed, discipline-based courses toward competency-focused, integrated models. Leading within a longitudinal, integrated curriculum requires a distinct set of leadership competencies. To address this need, medical education leaders across five institutions collaborated to develop a generalist leadership framework. Using a modified Delphi process, the team conducted literature reviews reviewing both published and gray literature and held monthly meetings over six months. This process resulted in the identification of core competencies, organized into three domains: Humility and Life-long Learning, Supporting Diverse Collaborations, and Holistic Stewardship of the Curriculum. A competency based self-assessment tool, Generalist Leadership Assessment for Skills and Strengths (GLASS) Tool, was then developed around this framework. The GLASS tool was piloted and validated in workshops at three national medical education conferences. Feedback from these sessions demonstrated strong support for the tool, with an average of 94% agreement on the relevance and clarity of the competencies. Participants used the tool to self-assess their leadership competencies, with higher self-ratings observed in the domain of humility and life-long learning over holistic stewardship of the curriculum. The tool was refined based on expert input clarifying the milestones and consolidating the competencies. The GLASS tool is designed to support reflective leadership development across four levels of educational engagement: individual, departmental, institutional, and national. It offers a transparent approach for faculty development, leadership readiness, and strategic planning in evolving medical education environments.