Leadership in dental biomaterials research

A leader in dental biomaterials, as in any other oral and dental science, could lead in other fields and may provide institutional leadership. Leadership can be learned and cultivated. In accepting the mantle of leadership, one takes on the responsibility to move the field or institution forward and ensure that the future remains in capable hands. We all believe that we can recognize effective leadership when we see it, but, as acknowledged in other contributions to this series of articles, it is the product of a complex set of interrelated skills and attributes. Many have proposed definitions that are likely accurate in large part. There may be subtle differences in what is considered leadership when it comes to business or sports or science or some other profession. But the main traits of any leader are the same and we can truly begin to understand leadership by asking some specific questions and suggesting possible answers.