APA SAMHSA MFP Spring Leadership Summit-2

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Peter Ureste, Associate Clinical Professor and Psychiatry Residency Program Director at UC Riverside, shared insights on leadership development, emphasizing growth mindset, emotional competency, and self-awareness. A first-generation college graduate, Latino and gay, his journey includes diverse experiences from community college to medical school, psychiatry residency, and geriatric fellowship.<br /><br />Dr. Ureste highlighted the importance of recognizing that everyone is already a leader based on their lived experiences and that leadership skills can be grown through deliberate practice and embracing challenges. He reflected on his own growth from doubting his leadership abilities to embracing leadership roles, underscoring the role of supportive mentors and peer networks.<br /><br />Central to his talk was emotional competency, dividing it into self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—skills essential for effective leadership. He discussed the need to expand emotional vocabulary ("feeling fluency") to better understand and communicate emotions, which fosters deeper relationships and meets underlying needs. Using tools like the Values in Action Questionnaire, Dr. Ureste encouraged mindful use of strengths, noting that overusing positive traits could hinder effectiveness.<br /><br />He introduced 21st-century mindset skills such as grit, self-compassion (both tender and fierce), vulnerability, and resilience as vital for navigating complex leadership roles. Conflict management styles and frameworks for reflection, including critical and developmental responses, were presented as methods to cultivate growth.<br /><br />Throughout, Dr. Ureste emphasized continual learning, self-reflection, and intentional practice to evolve as leaders. He encouraged active engagement, honest feedback, and balancing empathy with directness ("radical candor") in leadership communication, highlighting that effective leadership involves both personal development and nurturing others’ growth.

Keywords

leadership development

growth mindset

emotional competency

self-awareness

diversity in leadership

mentorship

emotional vocabulary

Values in Action Questionnaire

21st-century leadership skills

radical candor