Leadership Development Program

Ready, Set, Lead!

If you want to...

Expand and Refine your leadership skills to drive change in your current work setting
Become a leader within your state or professional association
Build a lifelong professional network
Give back to your profession through volunteer service
Influence policies, programs, and services

Then you should consider participating in ASHA's Leadership Development Program!

Visit ASHA's Leadership Academy where you can deepen your knowledge of leadership through webinars, mentoring, and more.

Past and present Leadership Development Program participants explain the impact that the LDP had on their careers and why other ASHA members should apply.

What is ASHA's Leadership Development Program (LDP)?

The Leadership Development Program is a year-long program for ASHA members with leadership potential. The program encourages you to develop your leadership skills and give back to the professions through volunteering—whether with ASHA, at your workplace or for a related professional organization.

Here is what current Leadership Development Program participants are saying about the most rewarding aspects of the LDP:

Collaborating with colleagues
Learning new ideas/strategies for setting goals, formulating a project and articulating a vision
Being able to discover my strengths and challenges as a leader and to develop those further along with my colleagues
Gaining leadership perspective from professionals
Gaining a leadership support staff of friends

2020 LDP Cohorts

LDP General Cohort – Kicks off Spring 2020

This is a general cohort for audiologists and speech-language pathologists in any work setting. See important CE information, faculty bios, and disclosures [PDF].

LDP Health Care Cohort – Kicks off July 2020

The cohort kicking off in Summer 2020 is for health care-based audiologists and speech-language pathologists (LDP Health Care).

What are the components of the Program?

If selected, you must commit to all program components:

Participate in a full-day Leadership Development Program face-to-face workshop.
Participate in scheduled webinars over the course of the next year on selected leadership topics.
Develop and complete an individual leadership project.
Actively participate on your learning team.

What is a Learning Team?

Participants are assigned to a learning team made up of other participants. Participants meet/work with their teams in-person at the workshop and virtually throughout the year. A learning team serves as a participant's project advisory group. Teams are meant to be independent and schedule their own virtual team meetings spread over the year. Additionally, they are to provide a venue for deeper interactions and exploration of the content provided by the LDP webinar sessions.

Leadership Projects

Individual learning projects are focused on the workplace or a community or other volunteer organization, with the elements involving leadership activities such as working with a team or gathering the support of stakeholders. Examples include:

Working on a project for your state association.
Developing a support group or family training program.
Working with a team to implement a new clinical or educational program.
Working to advocate for reimbursement, legislation, or policy change.

Note: While ASHA encourages participants to use their leadership skills to collaborate with various stakeholders associated with their projects to accomplish project goals, participation in the LDP does not imply ASHA’s endorsement or official support of participants’ projects. Prior ASHA approval must be obtained before using ASHA's name on any communications associated with participation in the Leadership Development Program. Please contact governance@asha.org if you have questions about the possibility of using ASHA’s name in your efforts to gain visibility for your project.

What are the dates for the 2020 Leadership Development Programs?

The Leadership Development Program for Audiologists and Speech-language Pathologists will kick off on April 24, 2020, at the ASHA National Office.

The LDP Health Care cohort will kick off on July 24, 2020, at the ASHA National Office.

LDP10 Workshops and Webinar Dates
	LDP 2020 General Cohort	LDP 2020 Health Care Cohort
Workshop/Webinar Days and Times	Thursday 11-12:30 Eastern	Thursday 1:30-3:00pm Eastern
Face to Face Workshop, ASHA National Office, Rockville, MD	April 24, 2020 (Friday)	July 24, 2020 (Friday)
Webinar 1 – Running Virtual Meetings	May 14, 2020	August 13, 2020
Webinar 2 – High Performing Teams	June 18, 2020	September 24, 2020
Webinar 3 – Influencing Others	July 16, 2020	October 22, 2020
Webinar 4 – Coaching and Mentoring	August 13, 2020	November 12, 2020
Webinar 5 – Conflict Management	September 24, 2020	January 14, 2021
Webinar 6 – Strategic Thinking	October 22, 2020	February 24, 2021 (Wednesday)
Webinar 7 – Governance	December 2, 2020 (Wednesday)	March 25, 2021
Webinar 8 – Leadership Styles	January 14, 2021	April 15, 2021
Webinar 9 – Virtual Graduation	February 24, 2021 (Wednesday)	June 3, 2021

Is there a fee to participate?

Yes. If your application is accepted, there is a tuition fee of $350, which covers the face-to-face program, one night's hotel accommodation, program materials, and webinars. If you choose not to use the hotel, the fee is $250. Please contact the Leadership Development Program Team for more information at governance@asha.org.

Who can apply?

The LDP seeks energetic people who are motivated to influence professional issues in speech-language pathology or audiology. Each program accepts 30 participants selected through a competitive application process. Preference is given to members who belong to a Special Interest Group, as well as to past members of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA). You must be an ASHA member to apply.

LDP for audiologists and speech-language pathologists applicant requirements:

Current ASHA member.
No prior participation in a previous LDP cohort.
No prior service as a chair on an ASHA committee, board, or council. No past, current, or incoming service on the ASHA Board of Directors. Leaders in state associations are welcome to apply.
Past or present ASHA committee, council, board members (ethics, financial planning, etc.), and SIG coordinating committee members welcome to apply.
Able to commit to participate in the year-long program and complete all program requirements.

LDP Health Care applicant requirements:

Current ASHA member.
No prior participation in a previous LDP cohort.
Employment in a health care setting.
No prior service as a chair on an ASHA committee, board, or council. No past, current, or incoming service on the ASHA Board of Directors. Leaders in state associations are welcome to apply.
Past or present ASHA committee, council, board members (ethics, financial planning, etc.), and SIG coordinating committee members welcome to apply.
Able to commit to participate in the year-long program and complete all program requirements.