OT and Leadership

The world desperately needs OT leaders.

It needs leaders that can think holistically. It needs leaders that understand both individual level change and systems level change. It needs storytellers, collaborators, and compassionate thinkers.

And, these are the qualities of an occupational therapy professional.

In this 1 hour OT CEU course, we’ll explore a paper on best practices in OT leadership curriculum development. This will help us understand the practical steps involved in leadership development. Both as an individual, and for preparing our profession to be one of leaders.

After we review the article, we are thrilled to welcome to the podcast, Victoria Garcia Wilburn, State Representative for Indiana House District 32. She and I will discuss the hard-won lessons she has learned about leadership. And, the advice she has for OTs to step into leadership, in whatever role they occupy.

1. You will be able to identify best practices for leadership development in OT.

2. You will be able to recognize practical steps you can take for growing as an OT leader.

• Intro and breakdown of journal article

  • Intro

  • Why leadership is important

  • Leadership development in higher education

  • Intent of this paper

  • Leadership development best practices in the literature

  • Case study of a leadership curriculum in an OT program

• Discussion on practical implications for OTs

  1. Intro to Victoria Garcia Wilburn

  2. How Victoria went from practicing OT to policy advocate

  3. Article impressions

  4. How do you define leadership for yourself?

  5. How has your OT background informed your advocacy priorities?

  6. Stories of how OT skills have been helpful in your leadership journey

  7. Is there anything you learned as an OT that you have had to unlearn as a leader?

  8. What’s been the most helpful thing you’ve done to grow as a leader?

  9. What advice do you have for OTs who are ready to grow as leaders?

  10. How do we encourage more OTs to step into formal leadership roles?

Primary

• Best practices in leadership curriculum development: A case study of a curriculum designed to foster authentic leadership skills in graduate students

Additional

• Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of multi-sector evidence on organisational interventions

• Perceptions of leadership styles in occupational therapy practice

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

OT Potential pays guest speakers an honorarium for their participation, either directly or to an institution of the speaker's choosing at their request. We invite guests whose expertise often comes from practices, programs, or building products in their field. Where a speaker has a financial interest in the subject of a course, we disclose it below so you can weigh it for yourself.

OT Potential's interest in this topic: We have no financial stake in this topic.

Speaker interests: Victoria Garcia Wilburn is a sitting member of the Indiana House of Representatives. This course is presented for educational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by OT Potential.