WGU Leadership Development Programs
🔎 Project Overview
As Director of Standards & Practices in WGU’s Product Development department, I was responsible for strengthening the leadership capacity of our ~400 staff. Our team drove the creation of new curriculum, assessments, and instructional design processes — and our success depended on growing leaders who could guide innovation.
In addition to leading programs for Product Development, I also delivered institution-wide share-outs on emerging learning technologies and methods, often presenting to audiences of up to 10,000 employees.
🛠️ My Role
Designed and led leadership development programs for Product Development (~400 staff).
Built equity-centered leadership tracks that combined mentorship, reflective practice, and applied projects.
Facilitated professional learning around new instructional methods and technologies (including AI-driven automation).
Represented Product Development at WGU-wide share-outs, presenting on innovation and the future of learning.
📘 Deep-Dive Narrative
Within Product Development, I recognized that leadership capacity was uneven — some staff had strong technical expertise but limited exposure to adaptive leadership, equity frameworks, or mentorship opportunities. To address this, I developed a series of programs that:
Applied Adaptive Leadership frameworks to help staff navigate ambiguity and change.
Connected employees with mentors to support career growth.
Embedded equity and belonging principles so that leadership pathways were accessible to all staff.
Included applied projects where participants contributed directly to WGU’s curriculum and product innovations.
Beyond the department, I was frequently invited to give institution-wide presentations (“share-outs”), where I highlighted:
The role of AI and automation in instructional product development.
How WGU could stay at the forefront of competency-based education innovation.
Lessons from our Product Development standards and practices.
These talks gave me a platform to shape how the broader WGU community — up to 10,000 employees — thought about innovation in teaching and learning.
👥 Leadership in Action
This project blended internal team growth with external thought leadership. I worked directly with Product Development staff to mentor and grow leaders, while also serving as a public voice for our department across the institution.
A colleague reflected:
“Molly has the rare ability to mentor a single colleague and inspire a stadium at the same time. Her talks helped us see the big picture while her leadership programs gave us the tools to act on it.”
✨ Key Outcomes
Designed and implemented leadership programs for 400 Product Development staff.
Advanced staff into senior roles while building institutional resilience.
Elevated understanding of AI and automation through share-outs with 10,000 employees.
Positioned Product Development as a hub of innovation and leadership within WGU.
