AMS Early Career Leadership Academy: From idea to reality to evolution

The aim of the Early Career Leadership Academy (ECLA; established in 2017) is to improve the retention rates of women; people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+); and people with disabilities in the atmospheric sciences and related fields by cultivating leadership, providing mentorship, and fostering a strong community of supportive peers and collaborators. Since 2017, five classes have completed the program, with the class composition spanning professional sectors and personal identities. Approximately 70% of ECLA participants were identified as women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and/or people with disabilities. Nearly half of all graduates have filled leadership positions within the American Meteorological Society (AMS), with a majority reporting that their first leadership position was not held until after completion of ECLA. A benefit of leadership training that spans across sectors includes the realization that despite different day-to-day responsibilities, many of the challenges faced by early career professionals related to extreme weather, climate change, and diversity and inclusion are similar across workplaces. ECLA is organized by AMS volunteers who created a program based on adaptive leadership principles. Given the diversity of professional backgrounds and lived experiences, the programmatic design of ECLA is also built upon each class’s professional development needs. Many of the topics are fundamental to leading effective, diverse teams, yet are rarely covered in traditional academic preparation. Recommendations and a list of actionable strategies are provided to help ensure that early career professionals will continue to be agents of positive change in the weather, water, and climate enterprise and beyond.