Discover your leadership potential in healthcare. The Transitioning into Leadership Program helps aspiring leaders build self-awareness, resilience, and inclusive practices while learning to lead change and spark innovation from any role. You’ll gain practical tools, shape your leadership vision, and take the first step toward advancing your career.
Why Join This Program?
This 7-week program offers aspiring healthcare leaders the chance to build a foundation in leadership. Through interactive sessions and practical tools, participants will gain self-awareness, resilience, and inclusive leadership skills, along with strategies for leading change and driving innovation. Designed for those without prior formal leadership experience, the program provides a supportive environment to explore your leadership potential, create a personal development plan, and take the first steps toward advancing your career in healthcare.
What You’ll Gain:
- Understand why leadership matters for people and organizations.
- Build self-awareness and resilience by recognizing individual strengths, supporting team wellbeing, and developing strategies for personal effectiveness.
- Learn to lead change and foster inclusion from your current role by engaging others.
- Shape your leadership journey by exploring vision and innovation as part of a leadership development plan.
Who Should Apply?
Individuals without formal leadership roles who want to explore leadership, strengthen self-awareness and resilience, and learn how to lead from where they are as they consider next steps in their careers. This program is available for UCSF Health employees this fiscal year.
Program Structure
| Session | Date | Time (Pacific) | Location |
| Foundations of Leadership & Self-Awareness | Cohort 7: 01/13/26 (FULL) Cohort 8: 01/22/26 (FULL) Cohort 9: 03/03/26 (FULL) Cohort 10: 04/22/26 (AVAILABLE) | 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM | UCSF, San Francisco |
| Workplace Wellbeing | Cohort 7: 01/27/26 Cohort 8: 02/05/26 Cohort 9: 03/17/26 Cohort 10: 05/06/26 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Virtual |
| Fostering Inclusion | Cohort 7: 02/10/26 Cohort 8: 02/19/26 Cohort 9: 03/31/26 Cohort 10: 05/20/26 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Virtual |
| Change, People & Leadership and Vision, Innovation & Your Career | Cohort 7: 02/24/26 Cohort 8: 03/05/26 Cohort 9: 04/14/26 Cohort 10: 06/03/26 | 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM | UCSF, San Francisco |
In addition to learning sessions, participants will:
- Complete assigned pre-work prior to each session.
- Understand the value of mentorship and secure a mentor to support your career journey.
Program Expectations
Participants are expected to:
- Attend all live learning sessions as scheduled (12 hours)
- Must attend at least 80% of the scheduled learning session time to be eligible for continuing education credits and a certificate of completion. All missed sessions require make-up work to be eligible for credits and a certificate.
- Complete assigned pre-work for each session (~1 hour per session, 4-6 hours total)
- Pre-work may include readings, videos, podcasts, and psychometric assessments to help contextualize the content and conversations of the live learning sessions.
Testimonials
“This program gave me more confidence in my leadership abilities and helped me see that I don’t need a title to lead and make an impact.”
“It has opened my eyes to being more receptive to change. I’ve learned to try and embrace being uncomfortable because that’s where the growth comes from.”
“I felt this program really helped me to figure out who I am what type of leader I achieve to be. It gave very usable information, tips, resources and tools to keep for a lifetime. I already notice that I am using the things learned in this program in my daily professional and personal life.”
Continuing Education
UCSF Leadership Institute is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Participants will be awarded 12 Contact Hour(s) for participation in the course.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 12980, for 12 Contact Hour(s).
Cost:
No program costs to individuals or their departments/units, thanks to funding from UCSF Health. Participants will need release time to participate and can consider using educational leave.
FAQ:
How do I know if I’m eligible to apply for this program?
Eligibility Overview
Full-time employees whose primary appointment and paycheck are through UCSF Health (UCPath) are eligible to apply for UCSF Health Leadership Programs.
This includes employees directly employed by UCSF Health across hospitals, clinics, and administrative functions.
Ineligible Groups
The following groups are not eligible to participate:
- Employees whose appointment or payroll is through affiliate organizations.
- Contractors, agency staff, or temporary workers who perform work at UCSF Health sites but are employed and paid by an external entity.
- Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) or clinicians employed through contracted medical groups or external health systems that are not part of UCPath.
Rationale
- UCSF Health Leadership Programs are designed to support the professional development of individuals who are part of the UCSF Health workforce and whose employment relationship is managed through UCSF Health HR systems (UCPath). This ensures equitable access to internal programs and alignment with UCSF Health’s leadership development strategy.
