The Emerging Health Leaders network experience: Reflections and lessons learned from a grassroots movement

Abstract

The Emerging Health Leaders (EHL) network was established in 2006 to enhance the leadership capacity of early careerists in the health sector in Canada. Ten years later, the development of the next generation of health leaders continues to be a focus for system leaders. Despite the rhetoric, financial investments in leadership development remain stagnant. This article describes the network’s experience in supporting the professional development needs of aspiring leaders across Canada. Successes and challenges regarding the development of the network are discussed, as are the results from a recent benchmarking survey, which identify remaining gaps and priorities for aspiring young leaders. Recommendations are also provided—based on the EHL experience—about how senior leaders can look to support and leverage the contributions of young leaders.