|
It is truly an honor to be standing in front of you, the most elite and accomplished of the dental profession. Being a member of this convocation class of 2004, each of you are continuously meeting the highest expectations of our profession of dentistry and you are serving actively and honorably as a citizen of your community. You have strong curriculum vitas documenting your contributions as a dental professional and involved citizen. Another quality evident in every one of your dossiers, but not categorically listed, is that of leadership.
The concept of leadership has taken on a very special significance and is associated with the core missions of the International College. This leadership overlay of your extraordinary accomplishments in oral healthcare, scientific discovery and professional and civic service is the topic I will explore with you this afternoon.
I must confess that I had not spent a great deal of time thinking about the rules to become a leader or the scales to measure leadership for myself. As a matter of fact, quite the opposite. Becoming a husband, a father, a dentist and a teacher were my motivators which, in my mind ruled out activities of leadership. I associated leaders with people who have attended academies, or graduates that took courses pursuing advanced degrees in business administration or management. Without having taken a course on leadership, how could I have become a leader?
My life through high school was spent in a small rural community in Oregon. At nine years old I had a paper route, the responsibility of which inspired a lifelong eagerness to excel. With considerable encouragement from my mother, I found time to participate in almost every extracurricular grade and high school activity available. Three years of college were the necessary hurdle for getting into dental school, but that almost did not happen because this small town boy discovered most of the unofficial activities of the college campus at the expense of the classroom. The only way college and dental school were possible, was because of an incredible scholarship fund residents of Lake County, Oregon that supported 12 – 15 members of every graduating class with tuition and room and board for four years. Dental school was not necessarily a pleasant experience but it was the means to becoming a dentist and ironically a guarantee that no one would ever be placed in a position over me.
I can tell you that I never desired to be a leader nor thought of myself as a leader even though I have served as Class President, Student Body President, Department Chair, Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, Interim Dean and now Dean. Well, because of the invitation to share my thoughts on leadership with you today, I have reconciled my internal dialogue of serving in roles of leadership while denying that I was a leader.
Let me share some of the gems from lots of reflection and research that have convinced me that I do not have to be disturbed when someone suggests I exhibit qualities of leadership.
Webster offers this first definition – the capacity to lead others. It seems then, there must be followers in order for there to be a leader. Almost every one of my organizational or service activity involvements has been the result of an invitation to serve. Serving would seem to fit better with following than with leading until you consider that volunteering to serve on a school or community budget committee, a church building committee, a Board of Directors or coach in a youth sports league is really a role of leadership. So now I am suggesting that serving is closer a kin to leading than to following and serving as a coach, a board member, a committee member is also an act of leadership.
A dentist enjoys considerable status because of the overall high regard for the dental profession by the public. Let me suggest that being a dentist, from the eyes of the general public, includes the role of a civic leader, which to most dentists is considered a role of service. So, again by serving, we are actually leading!
Another quality of leadership that is integral to patient care and academics is the ability to positively influence others. Dr. Charles Simons, our 2002 USA President stated, “I say you are all proven, tremendous leaders, but remember what your leadership is all about – It is about inspiring others.”
A rather straightforward, simple event occurred to me as a junior in high school that at the time nearly overwhelmed me. Now I realize it was an inspirational experience of the most powerful kind. Here is how it happened. I was called to the principal’s office during the first class of the day. It seems that the band teacher called in ill that day and there apparently was no substitute or backup plan. The principal told me they would like for me to teach the band classes that day which included two high school and three grade school classes. I was really worried for several reasons. I had never directed a band or taught a class. There were seniors that would be in two of the classes and band was considered a fun class that often bordered on being “totally out of control.” Remember that was a time when a student would never say “No” to t he principal. I can still remember the fear associated with trying to subdue total panic as the principal told the first class that I would be the teacher that day, and then he turned and walked out of the room.
It was not until many years later that I began to understand the impact on my life from that day of being the band teacher. Because of that experience, I have been able to accept when asked, and serve a wide variety of causes through various roles.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” This works pretty well for me even today, especially when combined with a strong conviction to just do what is right.
The thing that happened that day in band class is that a principal and a band teacher challenged a student with a situation that stretched to the limit the potential of that student. That “stretch” is the most significant and valuable experience that has put me where I am today. Growth in knowledge, growth in confidence, growth in experience, and growth in capacity to lead, have all centered around being thrust into situations where I have had little or no experience but been willing to give it all I have, so as to not disappoint. Once again the act of serving is a key manifestation of leadership.
It has been said, “No matter what great things you may accomplish in life, somebody helps you.”
There have been seven people, outside my family, that have had major impacts on my life – one being the band teacher, another was the local dentist who inspired me to become a dentist, not because he was a dentist but because he was a scout leader and someone I wanted to be just like, two were dental school deans, one a school district superintendent, another a fellow faculty dentist whose teaching and clinical skills were legendary and finally a priest. Each of these people was a very effective leader but they exhibited seven different leadership styles. Central to each one was a mission of service. Each one of them was a master at expressing appreciation and instilling motivation. And each one generated at least one of those life changing “stretch” expressions for me. To me leadership is not about functioning in front of a spotlight, rather leadership is about challenging, encouraging and applauding.
I have spent almost all my life within the academic arena. I feel compelled to assign some homework. As you, the acknowledged elite of the most respected profession in the world, I would ask that you search for situations or even create opportunities for those around you that will stretch their potential to achieve beyond the level at which they have performed. Of course I would hope some of these “stretch” experiences would lead to people choosing to pursue dental or other health care careers. You are never too old or too experienced to get involved with a “stretch” experience yourself – especially if it is SELF-generated. Coincidentally, I am going through a “stretch” experience as a Dean and it is actually quite enjoyable and even rejuvenating.
And finally, strive to become one of seven in as many lives as possible.
|
