The Emerging Leaders Network ended in 2011. These pages are no longer updated, but are online for archival purposes.

About the Emerging Leaders Network

Jump To: Why? | Overview | Background | Benefits

An emerging leader is someone with leadership potential who is working in public health or a related field (e.g., non-profit, community-based or social service organization that works to promote the health of the public), who has an interest in and tends to take on leadership responsibilities, and who may or may not currently be in a leadership position. "Emerging" does not necessarily imply "young;" rather it implies someone who's leadership potential has not yet been fully realized.

Why Focus on Emerging Leaders?

National research suggests that most leadership training opportunities are offered to people already in established leadership or management positions. The ELN is designed to identify and nurture the leaders and elders of tomorrow.

Countless challenges confront public health professionals: the workforce and leadership pool are shrinking; the demands for public health services are increasing; and the needs of an increasingly diverse and aging population are evolving. In the next decade nearly two-thirds of the leaders in many Minnesota public health organizations will be eligible for retirement.

In addition, many of the non-profit and community-based organizations that support the public's health will face significant challenges in leadership turnover and in their capacity to promote leadership development. We need to begin preparing tomorrow's leaders today.

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Program Overview

Minnesota's Emerging Leaders Network program is unique in the way program participants are identified. While most leadership training programs recruit individuals currently holding leadership positions, the ELN program intentionally seeks professionals with leadership potential, regardless of current job title.

The program features four retreats of approximately two days each. At each retreat, participants are exposed to new concepts of leadership, given time to practice new skills, and asked to take part in challenging experiential learning situations and guided self-reflection. Throughout the year, they also have opportunities for in-depth conversations with current leaders, and are encouraged to apply what they have learned in their professional work, as well as their personal and community commitments.

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Program Background

The Turning Point National Leadership Development Excellence Collaborative supported the development of the ELN to address the unmet need for public health workforce development and succession planning efforts, including the intentional identification, recruitment and preparation of new leaders.

Many voices in Minnesota have been calling for the active development of the next generation of public health leaders. Reasons include:

  • Significant turnover in public health leadership is expected in the next five years;
  • Little is being done to build the confidence and experience of future leaders;
  • Public health leaders should reflect the diversity of their communities; and
  • There is no other leadership program like it.

In response to the need, an energized group of 12 public health leaders representing the Minnesota Public Health Association, Local Public Health Association, and Minnesota Department of Health, designed and launched the ELN program in 2002. The University of Minnesota, School of Public Health became a sponsor of the ELN in 2005. Representatives from these organizations comprise the Collaborative Council.

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Benefits to Participants

What will emerging leaders gain by being part of the network? Being a part of the ELN will provide a range of growth opportunities. Members will:

  • Learn about and practice collaborative leadership skills;
  • Learn how to apply collaborative leadership skills in a practical ways, in both formal and informal settings;
  • Explore different leadership styles;
  • Learn how to build and maintain productive professional networks;
  • Create a personalized leadership development plan;
  • Meet other public health leaders; and
  • Gain confidence in their leadership ability.
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