Leadership retreats do not typically end in tears. But after 48 hours together over a weekend last fall, a group of emerging leaders from UAB, five Alabama companies and the U.S. Navy were not ready for the experience to end.

“It was that powerful,” said Allen Marchino, training coordinator for the Talent Management team in UAB IT. “We went through a process of self-discovery, learning how to show up as our best selves to our coworkers, to our families and to one another. We saw how we had the power to influence change for good as leaders and to build trust. By the end of it, we were literally in tears that it was over.”

Many of the participants had spent much of their careers in the COVID era, and the retreat was an illustration of the importance of human connection, Marchino added. “There is a power in proximity to one another. For me, it was a good reminder that this is what happens when people are intentional about getting together.”

Demonstrating power to change

The retreat last October was the kickoff for the eight-month Elevate Leadership Academy, a specialized program for emerging leaders run by Collat Professional Education in the Collat School of Business. Over that time span, the 20 members of the 2024–2025 cohort met monthly for full-day sessions at the Collat building on UAB’s campus.

Elevate concludes with a capstone event, in which groups or individuals incorporate what they learned during the program into a public presentation.

“We had a dress rehearsal, and then we presented in front of the people who nominated us for the program,” said Shweta Patel, M.D., M.S., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “The idea was to incorporate everything we learned during the program — finding solutions to tough problems, presenting projects, public speaking, collecting data,” Patel said.

Patel was part of a group with fellow clinician Frida Rosenblum, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pathology. Rosenblum, who is from Ecuador, was passionate about reducing medical waste. “We did not have resources in Ecuador, so we were careful not to waste anything,” Rosenblum said. Her colleagues, spurred by Rosenblum’s aversion to waste, thought about examples from their own specialties.

Patel, a surgeon, pondered ways to reduce plastic waste during C-sections and gynecologic procedures. “Even us talking to our colleagues about our project helped make them aware that change is possible,” she said. “If you are not sure you will need a particular piece of equipment, try not to open it ahead of time and then you can avoid having to throw it away even when it is unused. I have already made changes in my OR workflow to reduce waste, and we have seen that that can make a difference in how others respond.”

Unique industry consortium model

In addition to its focus on emerging leaders, what sets Elevate apart is its unique industry consortium model, says Cori Perdue, Ph.D., executive director of Collat Professional Education. “The blend of participants from UAB and local organizations really brings a collaborative and actionable element that is central to the program’s impact,” Perdue said.

“It brought a diverse group of people together to learn about the same thing, and it was always interesting to see how others applied these lessons in their own careers,” Rosenblum said.

Padma Manapragada, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Radiology, highlighted this as one of her key takeaways from Elevate. “It was incredibly valuable to connect with emerging leaders from a variety of fields,” she said. “Hearing different perspectives reminded me that there are often multiple valid solutions to a single problem, depending on how you think about it.”

Building trust, building confidence

Manapragada emphasized the significance of the opening retreat, noting that it served as an icebreaker and set the tone for the entire experience. “It  helped establish that this is a close, safe space and that we’re all in it together,” she explained. “Often, you might think, ‘I’m just going to keep quiet,’ but the retreat created a strong foundation for openness, teamwork and shared learning.”

“UAB is a big place, so I am grateful for any opportunity to learn more about how the institution works and to network with other professionals,” said Matt Murphree, MBA, RN, operations manager for Telehealth Services in UAB eMedicine. “Despite the differences in our job roles, it was interesting to find out the similarities in the situations we encountered and to hear how others had dealt with these situations.”

Murphree also highlighted a panel discussion with senior leaders from companies around Birmingham. That gave Elevate participants the chance to ask questions about the executives’ career paths, thoughts on maintaining work-life balance, and advice on managing time well.

Connections are important to career growth, Marchino agreed — and they also provide the means for personal transformation. Over the course of the program, he noted, participants worked on overcoming the fear of public speaking, learned how to give and receive honest feedback and practiced supporting others as they were learning and growing. “That was a great illustration of what a nurturing, trusting, safe environment can do for your confidence and your abilities on a personal level,” Marchino said. “And as a leader, you can see what it does for your team.”