COMSEP Conversations about Leadership – September 2025

Please consider joining us for the ongoing series on leadership in medical education.

All COMSEP members are welcome.

COMSEP Conversations about Leadership are designed as informal sessions to:

• Create a diverse and inclusive community of shared experiences and growth
• Develop awareness of different leadership strategies, approaches and challenges
• Facilitate the application of leadership frameworks and theories to one’s own work.

Our next session will focus on authenticity in leadership. Throughout our journeys in medical education, many of us will step into leadership roles that require new skills and knowledge. How do we acknowledge our own areas for growth without losing credibility as a leader? How do we transparently share collective challenges we face in our work or institutions without overwhelming our teams with negativity or uncertainty?

We are keeping to the promise of 15-30 minutes of prep time.

For the session:

Recommended Pre-Work: HBS “On Leadership” Podcast (length 17:23): What Makes an Authentic Leader

Optional Readings:

1. Today’s Leaders Need Vulnerability, Not Bravado
2. Why Leaders Should be Open About Their Flaws

During this 1-hour session, we will discuss the topic’s relevance and importance – and how it links to our work and COMSEP’s priorities, while highlighting important principles such as diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.

We then plan to work in small groups sharing experiences and responding to prompt questions.

We hope that educators and administrators consider joining us for this and future engaging sessions on leadership.  Through your participation, we will learn from one another’s experience and expertise, and further advance COMSEP’s strategic priority of leadership development for all interested COMSEP members.

Katie O’Donnell

Mike Barone

Sherilyn Smith

Joe Gigante

Susan Bannister