Leading From Where You Are: Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) 2024
Transformational leaders exist at all levels of child welfare systems who are deliberately creating spaces to meaningfully engage and serve young people and families and inspire and motivate colleagues and partners to create positive change through their work. Child welfare leaders play critical roles in retaining staff, planning for leadership succession, championing new leaders, and providing equitable leadership and advancement opportunities for all child welfare professionals on their staff.
This learning experience offers an opportunity for child welfare professionals at all levels to strengthen and develop transformational leadership skills. If you’re wondering if this learning experience is for you, the answer is yes! As individuals and teams working to improve outcomes for children, young people, families, and communities, we can all practice transformative leadership and impact system change.
Set aside 5 to 10 minutes to complete the leadership assessment in the CWVE 2024 Leadership Tool. You may have already completed this tool at CWVE 2024, but if you complete the assessment again, you may find your answers have changed. By taking time to reflect on your strengths, challenges, and areas for professional development as a first step, you will be able to focus on the units of this learning experience that will best complement your growth.
In addition to being a leadership assessment, the Leadership Tool offers questions for individual or group reflection after watching recorded sessions and workshops. You can also use the Leadership Tool to take notes as you move through this learning experience.
Racial equity and psychological safety are both central to transformative leadership at all levels. Learning about racial equity can bring up intense and challenging emotions, including anger, sadness, guilt, despair, and more. If this occurs while you are participating in this learning experience, prioritize your self-care. This could include going outside, speaking with a friend of colleague, meditating, or simply taking a break and returning to the content later. Self-care is personal, so pick an option that aligns with your unique needs and preferences.
This learning experience contains three units, representing the primary themes of CWVE 2024: Leading From Where You Are. You may complete one, two, or all three units in any order. If you are short on time, prioritize the units that most align with the results of your leadership assessment.
This learning experience can be completed individually at your own pace or get the most out of it by collaborating with an accountability buddy, your supervisor, mentor, team, or a group of peers.
Each unit includes opportunities for:
Transformational Leadership and System Change
This unit is for you if you want to:
- Learn more about using motivational language to inspire others
- Encourage your team to address problems and create solutions
- Lean into coaching and teaching
Racial Equity and Inclusion in the Workforce
This unit is for you if you want to:
- Better advocate for equitable opportunities for child welfare staff
- Promote equity in decision-making
- Identify and address racial disparities in policy and practice implementation
This unit is for you if you want to:
- Work on developing a collaborative environment
- Build community with your team
- Create safe spaces for innovation and creativity
After you have completed, one, two, or all three units, revisit the Leadership Tool and note any new strengths, challenges, and next steps for professional growth.
Next Steps
- Share your revised Leadership Tool with your supervisor, mentor, or accountability buddy. Focus on one, two, or three areas of transformational leadership.
- Ask for feedback on your professional growth steps.
- Together, brainstorm what support you will need to overcome your challenges and meet your goals. Set a recurring time to meet and check in on your progress.