Dr. Bennett Amaechi, associate professor and director of cariology in the Dental School, and Dr. James Lechleiter, professor of cellular and structural biology, are fellows in the current Leadership Education And Development Institute class.
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For any organization or institution to be successful, good leadership is essential. And, as President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, noted in his “University Outlook” presentation on Sept. 29, fostering leaders right from the start can help propel the UT Health Science Center San Antonio on its path to greatness.

Developing campus leaders
That is the goal of the Health Science Center’s Leadership Education And Development (LEAD) Institute. “The LEAD Institute is intended to provide future leaders with the insight, practical experiences and the tools to build on their leadership skills and to be successful,” explained Adriana Segura, D.D.S., M.S., professor of pediatric dentistry, a fellow in the first LEAD class and now its director.

Executive Committee members nominate LEAD fellows
“The current class of fellows is graduating in October,” she said. “We will be accepting nominations from Executive Committee members in November for the next class.”

Jerry York developed the LEAD Institute
Dr. Segura follows Jerry York, M.B.A., vice president and chief information officer, who led the task force creating the institute in 2005 and directed the program for its first three years.

“Our new leaders have great potential, but many of them don’t have an M.B.A. or any business training to know how to work with a budget, mentor employees or collaborate,” he said, noting that new department heads and administrative leaders often are expected to manage large and complex budgets with multiple funding streams and develop strategic plans, as well as direct large groups of employees.

The LEAD program
The program involves an initial two-day retreat and six monthly programs, all held off campus at the Norris Conference Center to minimize distractions. Fellows receive reading assignments to prepare them for interaction and small-group exercises. Each session also involves a keynote address from an Executive Committee member that focuses on his or her personal growth as a leader and learning experiences from his or her career. Financial and human resources topics are included in the series.

Program benefits academic and administrative leaders
“One thing that is different about our institute is that we include both academic and administrative leaders,” Segura said. York explained, “A lot of institutions don’t do that; it is just for academic leaders, but I can see real benefits from having both sides there. Once they start visiting, the barriers start to come down and they start using each other as sounding boards.

“There is a lot of mentoring going on,” York added. “It’s great to see relationships start to build, too. I know some of the fellows stay in touch after the course is over and act as advisors to each other.”

Fellows in the current Leadership Education and Development Institute class are listed on the LEAD Web site. Fellows are nominated by Executive Committee members during November.

Fellows share their view of the program
Bennett Amaechi, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., FADI, associate professor and director of cariology in the Dental School, was nominated for the current class because he was then chair-elect for the Faculty Senate. “In the LEAD Institute you learn both personnel and business management, as well as communication skills as a leader,” said the Faculty Senate chairman.

Taline Infante, RDH, M.S., associate professor, program director and associate chair of dental hygiene, added, “LEAD has been a wonderful opportunity to gain insight about how to confront challenges when holding a leadership position. The most important thing I’ve learned is how to communicate effectively. I truly appreciate the importance of taking the time to actively listen and process information before I react or make a decision. It has made a difference in my attitude towards my job and in my relationships.”

Thwe Htay, M.D., FACP, assistant professor of medicine and medical director of the Internal Medicine Clinic at the Medical Arts and Research Center, added, “I have learned that leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. Now I recognize the need of good leaders to be able to see a situation from someone else’s point of view and how to make decisions depending on the circumstances of each situation.”

For more information, visit the LEAD Institute Web site or contact Dr. Segura, (210) 567-3539.