Lessons Learned From an Executive Leadership Development Program and Their Impact on Academic Radiology

Academic medical centers, and particularly academic radiology, are undergoing profound transformations driven by factors such as expansion of clinical workload, workforce shortages, progressive expectations for educational and research activities, increasing enterprise integration, and the need for rapid adoption of new and developing technologies such as artificial intelligence. As a result, radiologists are increasingly expected to assume formal, and at times, informal leadership roles that require influencing organizational culture, leading complex change, and coordinating multidisciplinary or matrixed teams-often without structured leadership training or preparation. This article highlights lessons learned from participation in an executive leadership development program, outlining the benefits and providing reference resources that can be used for self-development. Key themes include the centrality of self-awareness to leadership effectiveness, the role of emotional and cultural intelligence, the importance of psychological safety in team dynamics, recommendations for leading effective teams, and the necessity of deliberate change management strategies to mitigate cynicism and sustain trust. The article will demonstrate how intentional leadership development can strengthen departmental culture, enhance faculty engagement and retention, support innovation, and preserve radiology's strategic influence within the increasingly complex academic health systems. A list of resources for self-development is provided in an Appendix.