I'm Interested in Leadership

Aspiring Leaders Programs

The Aspiring Leaders Program is designed to engage individual contributors through professional development and to provide a guided opportunity to explore leadership at Wellstar. This program is considered a first step for those team members and caregivers with 2+ years of Wellstar experience and no previous people leader experience.

The core curriculum, Exploring Leadership at Wellstar, is a five-week wrap-around, cohort-style learning experience that uses various forms of learning to support the learner’s professional development. Live events are mixed with self-guided, live, virtual and on-the-job learning to ensure maximum benefit to the learner.

View your Program Overview

2025 DATES	SPRING COHORT	SUMMER COHORT	FALL COHORT
PROGRAM DATES	TBD	Mid-July through Mid-August	Early October through Early November
APPLICATION WINDOW (2 weeks)	TBD	Apr 4 – 18	Jun 30 – July 11
PARTICIPANT NOTIFICATION	TBD	By June 11	By August 28

Aspiring Leaders Program Application

The application is accessible during application windows noted in the Program Overview table above. This is only available to Wellstar team members who meet the program requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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I’m interested in the Aspiring Leader Program. Can you provide additional information?

Information about the program is available in the Program Overview. Team members or Leaders (on behalf of their team member) can submit an application to the program for consideration. The program is offered on a quarterly basis. The 2025 application windows can be found in the Program Overview or on this page.

The program includes 10 hours of class time, which consists of virtual and in-person sessions. An additional 5 -10 hours of time should be set aside to complete self-guided learning and assignments. Total time commitment to learning is 15-20 hours. Participants must be available for all 5 sessions to receive full credit for the program.

The Aspiring Leaders Program is highly competitive, typically receiving hundreds of applications for only 40 spots each cohort. Given the volume of applicants, many exceptional candidates are not selected on their first or even second attempts.

Are remote workers eligible to apply to the program?

For now, we are willing to consider remote team members who are willing to attend the two in-person sessions. Any travel expenses associated with attending the in-person sessions would need to be handled by the individual and approved by their respective department.

After careful consideration, we’ve decided not to make major adjustments to the program structure at this time. We recognize the importance of including remote team members and believe any changes require thorough review. Rest assured, we are committed to continuously improving the program to better serve all participants.

What is the time commitment for the Aspiring Leaders Program?

The Aspiring Leaders Program requires a total time commitment of about 15-20 hours over the course of the program. This includes the time required for virtual and in-person sessions and self-guided work/homework associated with the program.

Participants are urged to have a dedicated quiet space to participate in virtual sessions and to complete self-guided learning assignments.

How will participants be paid for their time in the program?

This program is part of team member development and therefore considered paid time. PTO should not be taken for development opportunities like this.

Do I need to have a Wellstar computer to access the class/materials?

Participants are provided a hard-copy participant guide at the first in-person session. They need to refer to this throughout the program.

A computer will be needed for virtual sessions, which are done via Zoom link. Links are provided to participants in advance. This Zoom test link allows you to check camera*, speakers, and microphone. Be sure to test your Zoom functionality in advance. If you have issues with Zoom, please contact the IT Help Desk at 470-956-6000.

Access to the Wellstar network will be required in order to complete assigned Workday modules as part of self-guided learning.

*Cameras are not required.

What if I need to miss a class due to a schedule conflict?

Participants are provided session dates in advance, along with calendar notifications for each. They are expected to attend all in-person and virtual sessions.

Please note that sessions are not recorded, and make-up sessions are not available, so it’s essential to prioritize the time required for this program.

If individuals cannot fully commit to the program, we recommend considering applying to a future offering.

Skill Development: Elective Offerings

These leadership skill development courses are available to all Wellstar team members.

Course	Description	Modality	Time	CNEs?
Crucial Conversations	Crucial conversations come to all of us, personally and professionally. Usually, these conversations involve opposing opinions, strong emotions and high stakes. This course teaches skills for communicating when the stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions run strong. Leaders will learn skills to improve dialogue and engagement, create behavior change and build high-performance and culture.	In-Person / Virtual	2 days	Yes
Introduction to Emotional Intelligence	Research shows that people who demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence are stronger leaders, more effective decision makers, better at building relationships and are well equipped to confront challenging issues and manage change. This course provides a definition of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and it helps the learner identify, manage and use EI in improving work performance.	In-Person / Virtual	2 hours	Yes
Introduction to Strategic Thinking	Strategic thinking is a valuable skill for everyone in an organization, and it becomes more essential as you grow in leadership. In this course, you will learn the difference between strategic and operational thinking. You will consider the drivers of strategic thinking, work through the process of strategic thinking and learn how to build a habit of thinking strategically each day so that strategic thinking becomes a habit that works for you!	In-Person / Virtual	2 hours	Yes
Leading with Accountability	Accountability is a concept that is critical to leaders of organizations of all types. In this course, you’ll learn about building accountability in your teams, demonstrating your own willingness to be accountable, especially when things go wrong, and fostering an environment of accountability in those you work with.	In-Person / Virtual	2 hours	Yes
Leading through Mission, Vision and Values	A key feature of a leader is to inspire others to live out the mission, vision and values of their organization. This course introduces the opportunity to experience first-hand the power that mission, vision and values can have in leading team members. It also introduces the role of our leaders in helping bring them to life for each team member through engagement and development.	In-Person / Virtual	2 hours	Yes
Leadership Styles: Understanding and Adapting for Success	Leadership Styles: Understanding and Adapting for Success is an engaging and practical course designed for professionals and leaders who want to refine their leadership approach and adjust their style to meet the evolving needs of their teams. This class delves into various leadership styles, helping you identify your own approach and understand how to adapt to different situations and team dynamics.	In-Person / Virtual	2 hours	Yes
Strengths-Based Leadership	What goals could you accomplish if you used your strengths instead of worrying about your weaknesses? This Strengths-Based Leadership program will show you how to move past problems and build on what is working well. You’ll discover how to use your CliftonStrengths results to achieve personal and professional success, as well as strategically motivate your team to make positive change happen while working within the framework of other team member’s strengths.	In-Person / Virtual	3 hours	Yes

Course dates and locations: All course offerings and locations can be found in Workday Learning by searching the course name.

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CareerCare is a centralized resource to help you plan your career path at Wellstar and take advantage of the education benefits available to you. Whether you want to expand your skills, earn a degree, or start a new career journey, CareerCare has something for everyone.

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