Leadership: a new look, a new time, and established leadership

Abstract

The executive director of the American Dental Association characterizes leadership as involving inspiration, vision, and hope in the service of change. The need is great and the opportunities of numerous. Leadership has been built at the ADA through identifying a shared set of core values and through a billion dollar national Campaign for Dental Education. Although the future of the profession is bright, the outstanding leadership challenges include: increasing access, the cost and faculty shortages in dental education, globalization, emerging biotechnology, licensure, increasing the public's perceived value of oral health, and workforce matters.