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Home > Simon Sinek + AAO Inspiring Leadership program

Join Simon Sinek, leadership expert and bestselling author, for this exclusive program with fellow AAO members. You’ll gain the tools you need to inspire a high-performing team and lead a successful practice.

This certificate program is designed to help orthodontists:

  • Overcome burnout – yours and your team’s
  • Reduce workplace drama
  • Become a confident and effective communicator
  • Create a culture where you and your team will thrive

Open to AAO Members and their office managers
Price: $850 ($100 discount for AAO Student Members)

Next Cohort Begins February 6, 2025

Register Today!

Join Simon Sinek, leadership expert and bestselling author, for this exclusive program with fellow AAO members. You’ll gain the tools you need to inspire a high-performing team and lead a successful practice.

This certificate program is designed to help orthodontists:

  • Overcome burnout – yours and your team’s
  • Reduce workplace drama
  • Become a confident and effective communicator
  • Create a culture where you and your team will thrive

Open to AAO Members and their office managers
Price: $850 ($100 discount for AAO Student Members)

Next Cohort Begins February 6, 2025

Register Today!

Expert Guidance

Learn directly from Simon Sinek, his most trusted collaborators and your colleagues

Self-Paced Learning

Progress at a speed that works for you with on-demand access for twelve months

Workbooks, Exercises and Discussion

Study guides and activities for each module plus online discussion to deepen learning and support taking action

Earn CE & Certificate

15 units of ADA CERP CE and a Simon Sinek-AAO certificate at the successful completion of the program

Explore the Program

Click on each module to view its summary, learning objectives and topics and bio for each instructor.

Before Each Module

Simon Sinek and Dr. Trista Felty explore some of the biggest challenges facing orthodontists today when it comes to leadership and running a practice.

Simon Sinek

Co-Host, Instructor

Simon is an unshakeable optimist, thought-leader and bestselling author. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.

Dr. Trista Felty

Co-Host

Dr. Trista Felty was born and raised in Pennsylvania where she attended Villanova University (BSc. Biology, BSc. Honors Science) and was a member of the Division 1 Varsity swim team.  She attended Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry for her dental degree (DMD) and her Orthodontic residency program (MSc. Oral Biology, Cert. in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics). 

Unleash Your Infinite Mindset

Too many companies are vying to be first, the best, or to beat their competition in a game without finish lines. The result is always the same: less trust, cooperation, and innovation. Drawing on the core philosophies of his book The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek will guide you through how to: connect more deeply with your core mission, thrive in a world of constant change, learn from your worthy rivals, and gain the courage to lead.

Dr. Neal Kravitz shows how these concepts can lead to long-term practice success.

Learning Objectives and Topics:

  • Defining an infinite mindset and its impact on growth
  • Creating a Just Cause based on principles that inspire your team
  • Balancing your employees’ will with your company’s resources
  • Building greater trust within your team
  • Developing guard rails for ethical fading
  • Driving innovation by turning competitors into worthy rivals

Approximate time to complete: 2 hours

Simon Sinek

Co-Host, Instructor

Simon is an unshakeable optimist, thought-leader and bestselling author. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.

Dr. Neal Kravitz

AAO Instructor

Owner of Kravitz Orthodontics in Virginia, Dr. Kravitz is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics in charge of Invisalign® research, and serves on the Editorial Board for the Angle Orthodontist journal and the Seminars in Orthodontics journal.

Building Trusting Teams

The Navy SEALs are among the highest-performing teams on the planet. It’s not just their physical skills or courage that sets them apart. Instead, it’s their trust in each other, their leadership, and their teamwork that make them truly exceptional. The best part is: their principles for success can be transferred to anyone. Simon Sinek and Rich Diviney, a 20-year veteran of the Navy SEALs, guide you on a path to elevate performance and build trusting teams at your practice.

Dr. Richa Dutta shares her plan to start implementing these concepts in your practice.

Learning Objectives and Topics:

  • Cultivating a culture of accountability and trust
  • Rethinking hierarchy in problem solving for your organization
  • Delivering honest feedback to your team members
  • Recognizing damaged trust and learning how to repair it
  • Identifying essential skills and attributes in the hiring process

Approximate time to complete: 3 hours

Simon Sinek

Co-Host, Instructor

Simon is an unshakeable optimist, thought-leader and bestselling author. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.

Rich Diviney

Instructor

Rich Diviney is a bestselling author, leadership and human performance expert, and retired Navy SEAL commander. During his career in the US Military, spanning more than twenty years, Rich has completed more than thirteen deployments overseas.

Dr. Richa Dutta

AAO Instructor

Dr. Dutta is an orthodontist, entrepreneur, mother, wife, avid reader, community leader & an advocate for fellow orthodontists and patients. She started her journey with dental school in India and by the time she was a 4th year dental student, she knew that designing beautiful smiles gave her the deepest satisfaction.

Be the Leader People Want to Follow

When people feel valued and feel like they’re adding value, morale goes up, teamwork thrives, and people happily take more accountability for the work that they do. That’s what this module is all about. Author and researcher Zach Mercurio demystifies the process of establishing environments and relationships that show your people that they are significant. Because if we want people to care about their work, they must first feel cared for.   

Dr. Alyssa Emory-Carter shares how leading a practice isn’t just about being in charge, it’s about taking care of people in your charge.

Learning Objectives and Topics:

  • Adopting the skills necessary to make your team feel seen, heard, and valued
  • Reassessing employees deemed “difficult” and identifying the root cause
  • Optimizing moments with colleagues and patients
  • Establishing a system to document and communicate “wins”

Approximate time to complete: 2 hours

Simon Sinek

Co-Host, Instructor

Simon is an unshakeable optimist, thought-leader and bestselling author. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.

Dr. Zach Mercurio

Instructor

Zach Mercurio, Ph.D. works with individuals and organizations around the world to forge purposeful leaders who cultivate more meaning, motivation, well-being, and performance. He is a positive leadership and organizations researcher and Honorary Fellow of Psychology in the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University.

Dr. Alyssa Emory-Carter

AAO Instructor

Dr. Alyssa Emory-Carter has been noted for her commitment to excellence and her radiant positivity about the future of the orthodontic profession. Dr. Alyssa appreciates product and software advancements and has been selected to participate in clinical and FDA trials for innovative orthodontic products. 

Honoring Your Patients And Your Employees

Make magic in a world that needs more of it. In this module, step into the world of hospitality with the former owner of 11 Madison Park, Will Guidara, who built a business that earned the title of world’s best restaurant. You will unlock the essential leadership tools for captivating a fiercely loyal customer base for your practice through systemizing magic moments, inspired by Will’s bestselling book “Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.”

Dr. Lisa Alvetro shares how to engage your team to differentiate your practice through experiences.

Learning Objectives and Topics:

  • Collaborating with your team to create experiences so memorable for your clients, that they will want to tell everyone they know about it
  • Striking a balance between authority and creative solutions
  • Creating systems for “ah-ha” moments
  • Empowering team members to make decisions

Approximate time to complete: 2 hours

Will Guidara

Instructor

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, which chronicles the lessons in service and leadership he learned over the course of his career in restaurants.

Dr. Lisa Alvetro

AAO Instructor

Dr. Lisa Alvetro has been a solo orthodontic practitioner in Sidney, Ohio for over 30 years. She received her D.D.S. summa cum laude from Ohio State University in 1991 and completed her orthodontic residency at Case Western Reserve University in 1993.

Clear & Effective Communication

Staff meetings, implementing new systems, presenting information to patients. They are all forms of communication, which means your ability to express logical or sometimes emotional information is an essential skill to leading a team. Ever since he gave his groundbreaking TED Talk on the concept of WHY – which went viral with more than 60 million views – Simon Sinek has given countless talks to audiences of all sizes for nearly two decades. If there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s that the true power of a presentation isn’t actually about the content. It’s about the manner in which you present content.

Dr. Kaitrin Kramer applies these concepts for different types of communications – with patients, with staff or presenting to a study club, a class or at the AAO.

Learning Objectives and Topics:

  • Learn Simon’s #1 rule to deliver a great presentation, which will revolutionize your approach to any presentation or interaction 
  • Preparing to present, including how to power through anxiety and how to adapt when things go wrong
  • Nailing the audience’s first impression
  • Commanding the room with the time you have

Approximate time to complete: 2 hours

Simon Sinek

Co-Host, Instructor

Simon is an unshakeable optimist, thought-leader and bestselling author. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.

Dr. Kaitrin Kramer

AAO Instructor

Kaitrin Kramer is a craniofacial orthodontist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, where she provides care for patients in the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Clinic. Her education includes a B.S. degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a PhD in oral sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Continuing her professional education, she completed a DDS degree at the University of Michigan, followed by an M.S. degree and certificate in orthodontics from the Ohio State College of Dentistry.

Find Your WHY

We all know what we do. This is the job you perform. Some of us know how we do it. But very few of us can actually say WHY we do what we do – the deep-seated purpose, cause or belief that underlies all our decisions. The most inspiring leaders on the planet, whether they’re individuals or organizations, all think, act and communicate in the exact same way. They all start with WHY.

Uncover your purpose as Simon Sinek, author of the global best-selling book Start with WHY, leads you step-by-step through the WHY journey, providing actionable insights to align your actions with your core values. This process will challenge you to do the work to find your WHY and how to use it to inspire your practice.

Dr. Kyle Fagala shares his WHY and how he weaves it throughout his practice and his life.

Learning Objectives and Topics:

  • Draft your own WHY statement
  • Understanding your Why, Hows and Whats so you can better communicate your ideas and vision.
  • Applying your WHY every day in your practice to make decisions and build your practice.

Approximate time to complete: 3 hours

Simon Sinek

Co-Host, Instructor

Simon is an unshakeable optimist, thought-leader and bestselling author. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and The New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.

Dr. Kyle Fagala

AAO Instructor

Dr. Kyle Fagala is a trusted authority and highly sought-after speaker in Orthodontics. As the owner of Saddle Creek Orthodontics and co-founder of the digital marketing agency Neon Canvas, Dr. Kyle delivers exceptional patient care and offers invaluable strategies for practice growth.

Details

The Simon Sinek – AAO Inspiring Leadership program cultivates confident leaders who inspire their teams to grow and succeed together.​

  • For AAO Members and their Office Managers​
  • 6 modules focused on the people and culture side of running a successful practice
  • Approximately 2-3 hours per module​
  • Go at your own pace – a new module unlocks at the completion of the previous one​
  • Downloadable workbook for each module​
  • Access to all video content for one year​
  • Discussion group in dedicated AAO private Facebook Group​
  • Earn 14 CE credits and Simon Sinek – AAO Inspiring Leadership Certificate at the successful completion of the program
  • Pricing: $850 per participant​
  • Resident Discount: $100 per participant
Register Now
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Disclaimer
This Continuing Education Program provides attendees with a relevant and rewarding continuing education experience. However, neither the content of a course nor the use of specific products in any program should be construed as indicating endorsement or approval of the views presented or the products used by the AAO or by any of the respective subsidiaries. Speakers are required to disclose to participants any financial, commercial, or promotional interest in a product or company that may influence their presentations; however, the AAO shall not be liable for a speaker’s failure to disclose such interest.

Recognition
The American Association of Orthodontists is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.  The American Association of Orthodontists designates for all CE activities, 0.25 credit hours will be awarded for each 15 minutes of activity time unless otherwise noted. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at www.ada.org/en/ccepr/ada-cerp-recognition.