A mentor challenged me once to think about my relationship with leadership. Before, I assumed leadership meant being the most senior person in the room and having decision-making authority. What my mentor taught me instead was that leadership is actually acting on behalf of the collective. It’s something we’re all capable of doing, but only if we allow ourselves to push our own boundaries to lead.
Some of the most meaningful changes happen when people choose to speak up, build relationships, and influence outcomes regardless of where they sit in an organization. That lesson has stayed with me as I’vegrown in my career.
Like many emerging leaders, I’ve balanced new responsibilities, competing priorities, and the occasional feeling of imposter syndrome. I’ve learned that developing as a leader isn’t just about gaining new skills. It’s also about finding a community that challenges, supports, and encourages you along the way.
That’s why I have found immense value in the Civitas Networks for Health® Emerging Leaders Council (ELC).
The ELC brings together professionals from across the Civitas network who seek to develop their leadership skills, learn from peers, and tackle shared challenges. Through honest conversations and collaborative problem-solving, ELC members gain practical insights and real-world sources of inspiration that complement traditional workplace professional development.
In our most recent session, we tackled the problem statement: How can leaders drive meaningful organizational change when they are responsible for outcomes but have limited authority over the people and processes required to achieve them? Through the conversation that followed, we explored themes of:
- Building relationships and staying relevant
- Listening and learning with intention
- Communicating clearly and with different styles
- Delivering consistently and fixing friction
The crux of the discussion centered on how to get buy-in when you know the solution works but others are not ready for change. To build on these themes the ELC is excited to present “Influence in Action: Navigating Priorities, Partnerships, and Leadership Challenges” at the 2026 Civitas Networks for Health Annual Conference on September 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Open to all conference attendees, this interactive session will explore how leaders build trust, gain buy-in, and move important work forward, even when they don’t have the final say. . Whether you’re advancing a new initiative, building partnerships, or balancing strategic goals against day-to-day demands, influence matters. Creating influence is a skill that needs practice.
Through a panel discussion and small-group conversations, participants will hear real-world lessons from experienced leaders and walk away with practical strategies to:
- Build credibility and trust
- Navigate competing priorities
- Strengthen stakeholder relationships
- Communicate with confidence
- Lead through influence rather than title alone
Whether you’re stepping into your first leadership role or looking to expand your impact, this session will provide actionable insights and meaningful connections with peers facing similar challenges.
"It's a critical time for emerging leaders to recognize our own influence and ability to build networks for collective impact. By learning from one another and strengthening connections across the Civitas community, we can create greater alignment, advance innovation, and help build the nation's health improvement infrastructure."
If you’re interested in growing your leadership skills, expanding your professional network, and connecting with peers from across the country, I encourage you to join us at the Civitas 2026 Annual Conference, September 22-24 in Arlington, Virginia. Beyond the ELC session, the networking at the conference is unmatched, and the three days of sessions have some of the most tangible lessons our industry has to offer.
I hope to see you at Influence in Action and throughout the conference as we explore how emerging leaders can help shape the future of health care and community-centered health improvement.
