This study aims to strengthen leadership competencies among CU SOM faculty who have at least five direct reports by promoting meaningful behavior change in leadership practices and fostering a culture of peer support, to advance employee well-being and help reduce burnout among healthcare professionals. 125 leaders will take part in a six-month leadership development program consisting of 6 self-paced learning focus areas and 6 in-person sessions with peers to discuss. The investigators will evaluate the program's implementation process and its effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes.

The goal of this project is to design, implement, and evaluate a creative, sustainable leadership development program - Leadership Thrive Circles - focused on helping supervisors: 1) lead with respect and inclusion by ensuring all team members feel valued and welcome; 2) communicate openly and transparently, 3) seek input regularly, 4) support each person's professional growth and aspirations, and 5) express genuine appreciation and gratitude for their contributions. This program will be grounded in evidence-based leadership practices that support professional well-being and help reduce burnout among healthcare professionals.

A core premise of this initiative is that leader well-being is foundational to team well-being. Leaders who experience fulfillment, support, psychological safety, and manageable stress are better positioned to model healthy behaviors, build supportive environments, and promote well-being among their direct reports. Thus, Leadership Thrive Circles is also intentionally designed to strengthen the well-being of leaders themselves-recognizing that investing in leaders produces positive ripple effects across entire teams and departments.

There is a recognized need for leadership development. While there is substantial evidence highlighting the importance of leadership in healthcare-and the core skills leaders should demonstrate with their teams-there remains a gap in programs tailored specifically to the unique needs of CU SOM leaders.

In addition, emerging research underscores that leader well-being directly influences workplace culture, team functioning, and the well-being and retention of faculty and staff. Leaders facing high stress, burnout, or misalignment may struggle to provide effective support, communication, and recognition-factors that the CU SOM well-being data consistently identifies as essential to a healthy, high-functioning environment. Addressing leader well-being is therefore not only beneficial for leaders themselves but also essential for promoting the well-being of their direct reports. Leadership Thrive Circles aims to fill this dual need by equipping leaders with both the skills and the personal well-being resources required to lead healthy, thriving teams.

The objectives are to: 1) Strengthen leadership competencies among CU SOM faculty who have at least five direct reports. 2) Promote meaningful behavior change in leadership practices among these leaders. 3) Foster a culture of peer support as leaders integrate new skills into their daily workflows. 4) Evaluate the program's implementation process and its effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:

Leader

• CU SOM faculty member who is either a physician, advanced practice provider, licensed mental health professional, research scientist or other CU SOM faculty member
• Works at least half time
• Has at least 5 employees who directly report to them
• Not participating in the CU Thrive Circle intervention (like this leadership program but NOT for those in a leadership role)
• Willingness to participate in the breadth of the leadership program
• Able to participate in the in-person sessions

Employee

o Direct report of a leader who is in the program

Exclusion Criteria:

• Does not fit the criteria outlined above

Individual participant data underlying published results will be shared in de-identified form. This includes quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data with direct identifiers removed and sensitive content redacted as needed to protect participant confidentiality.

Data will be available beginning after publication of primary study results and for up to 5 years thereafter.

De-identified datasets and supporting materials (such as the study protocol, survey instruments, interview guides, and analytic codebooks) will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request and approval of a data use agreement, in accordance with IRB requirements and participant consent.

Because qualitative interview transcripts may contain potentially identifying contextual information, access to full transcripts may be limited or provided in redacted or coded form.

Requests must include a brief proposal describing the planned use of the data and plans to maintain confidentiality. Data will be shared via secure electronic transfer.