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ForwardCommunity of Leaders 2026
The Community of Leaders training program equips mid and senior-career professionals with the skills and community needed to accelerate their careers and amplify change initiatives. This is an intensive activity for infectious disease specialists across the healthcare team.
Program Highlights
- Exclusivity: Curriculum crafted specifically for infectious diseases and HIV specialists.
- Cohort Learning: Enhance learning outcomes and forge valuable professional connections.
- Diverse Accessibility: Suitable for specialists from varied practice settings.
Program Format
- Hybrid Approach: Combining online learning with an in-person intensive.
- Online Learning: February to May 2026, with asynchronous webinars, readings, and discussions.
- In-Person Capstone:* May 4 and 5, 2026 in Arlington, VA.
*Attendees are required to attend the in-person intensive to participate.
Commitment
- Asynchronous Learning: 14 hours total (varies by learner).
- In-Person: 16 hours total. Arrive by 8:00 a.m. on May 4 and depart after 5:00 p.m. on May 5.**
**Attendees are encouraged but not required to stay until May 6 to enjoy a celebration dinner with their peers on May 5.
Program Themes & Learning Structure
The Community of Leaders program is organized around four integrated learning units that build progressively from leadership identity to action, collaboration, and change. Together, these units are designed to help participants clarify how they lead, understand how their leadership is experienced by others, strengthen collaborative communication, and execute meaningful change within complex professional environments.
Unit 1: Establishing a Philosophy of Leadership
This unit focuses on developing a clear, evidence-informed philosophy of leadership. Participants explore foundational leadership theory, emotional intelligence, and leadership as a relational responsibility. The emphasis is on articulating a leadership approach that is principled, adaptable, and responsive to the needs of teams, organizations, and the broader profession.
Unit 2: Building Effective Leadership Behaviors
This unit translates leadership philosophy into observable, intentional behavior. Participants examine how leadership practices show up in daily work, how those behaviors are perceived by others, and how they influence outcomes. Through assessment, reflection, goal setting, and applied tools, the focus is on aligning leadership intent with real-world impact.
Unit 3: Collaborative Communication
This unit examines communication as a strategic leadership function rather than a transactional skill. Participants explore how listening, dialogue, conflict, and group dynamics shape trust, alignment, and performance. The unit emphasizes using communication and conflict intentionally to strengthen collaboration, decision-making, and team effectiveness.
Unit 4: Change Management
This unit addresses how leaders move ideas from aspiration to execution. Participants examine evidence-based change frameworks, readiness assessment, and practical planning tools that support disciplined follow-through. The focus is on helping leaders design, lead, and sustain change in complex organizational systems.
In-Person Capstone
The in-person capstone consists of four 4-hour workshops, each corresponding to the asynchronous units: Philosophy of Leadership, Leadership Behaviors, Communication and Conflict, and Change Management. During these sessions, participants will:
- Develop a personalized leadership mission and vision that aligns with their ambitions,
- Collaborate with a certified coach to review and interpret their Leadership Practices Inventory 360 assessment results,
- Engage in activities to strengthen communication and conflict resolution skills, and
- Begin formulating a change initiative to tackle a pressing challenge in their workplace.
Leadership Practices Inventory 360 Degree Assessment
Community of Leaders sessions are marked by deep reflection and an investigation of your leadership journey to date. All attendees will participate in a high-quality, valid, and reliable 360 assessment using today's premiere tool, the Leadership Practices Inventory 360+®. The assessment is included in the program fee and is required for participation.
Target Audience
The Community of Leaders program is intended for mid- and senior-career infectious diseases and HIV specialists across the healthcare team. Candidates should be currently ascending into a leadership role or seeking to address areas of need within a current leadership role.
IDSA seeks to create a personally, professionally, and academically diverse cohort each year and, as such, cannot provide an ideal candidate profile. Interested individuals are encouraged to review available program information to determine if the program is a fit for their training needs.
Learning Objectives
Learners will:
Join a community of ascending and established leaders from diverse practice settings.
Establish a personal philosophy of leadership.
Evaluate and improve essential leadership behaviors.
Codify strategies to manage and implement change.
"With state-of-the-art technology and beautifully elegant meeting rooms, the Virginia Tech Executive Briefing Center (EBC) is designed to accommodate executive seminars, training programs, workshops, receptions, and many other events for both internal and external clients. The conference center is located on the second floor of the Virginia Tech Research Center – Arlington, just blocks from the Ballston Metro station and I-66, and in the heart of the vibrant Ballston area rich with restaurants, shops, and nearby hotels."
Executive briefing center. D.C. Area | Virginia Tech. (2021, September 27). Retrieved February 2, 2022, from https://dcarea.vt.edu/engagement/executive-briefing-center.html
Travel
Attendees needing assistance to travel between the venue and their hotel should contact Colin Dixon, Associate Director, at [email protected].
Course Disclosures
The content for this CME-accredited activity was reviewed, edited, and redesigned by the IDSA Leadership Institute Subcommittee in 2023 to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with educational best practices.
Leadership Institute Subcommittee Disclosures
- Emily Abdoler
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: Advisory/Consultant role for National Board of Medical Examiners. Committee work for the National Academy of Medicine.
- Vladimir Berthaud
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income within the last 24 months disclosed.
- Lyssette Cardona
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income within the last 24 months disclosed.
- Catherine Derber
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: Honoraria from the following company: Projects In Knowledge Powered by Kaplan, ViiV
- Colin Dixon
- Role: Staff; Planner; Editor
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income within the last 24 months disclosed.
- Ekezie Francis
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income within the last 24 months disclosed.
- Jennifer Hanrahan
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income within the last 24 months disclosed.
- Ravi Jhaveri
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer*
- Disclosures:
- Advisory/Consultant role for AstraZeneca, Seqirus, Sanofi, Gilead.
- Other remuneration from UpToDate, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
- Ighovwerha Ofotokun
- Role: Subcommittee Member; Reviewer
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income within the last 24 months disclosed.
*Term ended October 2024.
All financial relationships have been mitigated.
Panelist Disclosures
In 2020, the Leadership Institute Curriculum Task Force conducted interviews with the following individuals. The information below reflects their disclosures at the time of recording. Interviews have not been altered since their original recording, except for revisions to title cards, background music, and closing transitions.
- Rahul Anand
- Role: Moderator
- Disclosures: Stocks/bonds with the following companies: Regeneron, Moderna, Paratek, Progyny, Aurinia, TwoU, Coursera.
- Lyssette Cardona
- Role: Moderator
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of recording.
- Jennifer Dreiling
- Role: Panelist
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of recording.
- Louise Lambert
- Role: Panelist
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of recording.
- Joshua Hartzell
- Role: Panelist
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of recording.
- Susan Rehm
- Role: Panelist
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of recording.
- Elaine Schulte
- Role: Panelist
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of recording.
Acknowledgment Statement & Additional Disclosures
The IDSA Leadership Institute acknowledges the invaluable contributions of the Leadership Institute Curriculum Task Force (2020-21) in shaping the design and scope of the program as it exists today. Their dedication and expertise laid the foundation for a comprehensive and impactful learning experience.
While the curriculum task force is no longer responsible for Leadership Institute content, the vision and design of the modules still bear the mark of its members. The disclosures below reflect each member’s affiliations and interests at the time of their participation on the task force. We extend our gratitude to the following individuals for their efforts.
- Rahul Anand
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: Stocks/bonds with the following companies: Regeneron, Moderna, Paratek, Progyny, Aurinia, TwoU, Coursera.
- Lyssette Cardona
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of production.
- Teena Chopra
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: Honoraria with the following companies: Pfizer, Cephid, Ferring.
- Pui-Ying Iroh Tam
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of production.
- H. Nina Kim
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: No financial relationships or income to disclose at the time of production.
- Yukari Manabe
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: Advisory/Consultant for the following companies: Abbott, Becton Dickinson
- Stacey Rose
- Role: Member
- Disclosure: Oakstone CME: Practical Reviews in Internal Medicine (audio reviews of journal articles)
Credit Designation Statement
IDSA designates this live activity for a maximum of 30 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
ABIM MOC Recognition Statement
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 30 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Physician participation information will be shared with ABIM through ACCME PARS.
Note: IDSA is unable to offer pediatric MOC credit for this program.
Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, IDSA is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
