When the email came from the Wisconsin Dental Association with an invitation to attend this year’s Leadership Academy, I was immediately excited about the opportunity.
Having a keen interest in getting more involved in organized dentistry, I thought this would be a great way to meet current and future leaders from around Wisconsin. The WDA Leadership Academy was just that and more!
The two-day meeting kicked off with a great conversation with Dan Paulson who is an accomplished speaker, author and CEO of InVision Business Development.
As a group, comprised of members from all across the state, we discussed a number of topics. These topics touched on real issues dentists face on a daily basis, including leadership within our practices, communication, team building and conflict resolution.
Our discussion with Dan was unique, because we had a well-rounded group of attendees (i.e., new graduates, specialists, associates and practice owners), and he cleverly blended all of our experiences to allow everyone to come away with a valuable understanding of each topic.
After the opening session, we also had great presentations on public speaking and communication tips. The tips and resources provided will help all in attendance to communicate in a clear and concise manner.
During the second day of the Leadership Academy, attendees were fortunate to sit in on the Board of Trustees meeting where we were able to see the operations of the business side of the association. Prior to this, we learned about the structure of organized dentistry from a national level all the way down to the local level.
We also became informed of opportunities within the WDA, current initiatives and the importance of getting involved. This inside perspective showed me how important the volunteer work of WDA leaders is to our dental profession.
All in all, the academy was a great opportunity to learn, network and inspire future involvement within the WDA. As a previous volunteer in a number of associations and having attended a number of different leadership meetings, the WDA Leadership Academy ranked within the top of my experiences.
I would highly recommend to any dentist who is looking to get more involved, to keep an eye out for information leading up to the academy in 2018 or contact WDA Executive Director Mark Paget at [email protected] for more information.
Great article. Congrats to the WDA for its vision and efforts towards grooming the next generation of Leader Dentists.