For the latest Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) “On Leadership” blog post and newsletter column, Tara Davila, LCSW, and Daryn David, PhD, PCC, reflect together on the April 2025 Grand Rounds talk delivered by Jacob Padrón, artistic director of Long Wharf Theater in New Haven.
The Leadership Learning Lab (also known as “Triple L”) is a new YCSC leadership development program launched in March 2025. Comprised of three 2-hour sessions, this experiential series is open to anyone in the YCSC community who is interested in deepening their approach to leadership.
This semester’s “Triple L” is devoted to teaching and disseminating practices related to inclusive leadership – or how we elevate and serve others through our work. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was very exciting for us to hear Mr. Jacob Padrón, artistic director of Long Wharf Theater (LWT), share about his own experiences with inclusive leadership.
During his very well-received Grand Rounds talk on April 1, 2025, Mr. Padrón emphasized that a large measure of his success stems from the humility and curiosity he brings to his position, coupled with a commitment to garnering input regarding innovation from all theater stakeholders and embracing the mission of serving the New Haven community by making theater increasingly accessible to all.
Mr. Padrón highlighted the challenges he faced when he and the board took on new directions, including converting the LWT to a fully itinerary theater troupe. He emphasized the courage it took to make this bold change, a change that went against the theater’s long-standing tradition of putting on shows within its own building and which was not received favorably by some at first.
Continuously aligning his actions with his deeper mission of making theater more accessible for all--coupled with a willingness to respect and engage those who disagreed with him--helped Mr. Padrón to stay the course, as did tending his network of supportive relationships that he calls the “net that works.”
While he knows he may not get to see them all blossom, Mr. Padrón is committed to “planting seeds” that he hopes will eventually result in greater accessibility of theater for all in our community. The practices of deeply considering the voices, perspectives, and opinions of others; valuing and drawing upon supportive connections; and a willingness to be simultaneously vulnerable and courageous are the hallmarks of inclusive leadership that he draws upon in doing so.
Newly inspired by his talk, we cannot wait to continue teaching these practices to any and all interested members of our YCSC community going forward, regardless of rank or role. All are truly welcome.
The “On Leadership” blog was launched in 2022 to address the importance of connection, collaboration, and embodying a service leadership mindset in professional and personal contexts. YCSC Assistant Professor Daryn H. David, PhD directs the column and serves as director for leadership development and coaching initiatives in the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) Offices of Academic and Professional Development and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Any opinions or views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and are not intended to represent Yale University.