AOA Critical Issues Symposium: How Are Orthopaedic Leaders Chosen? Competency Versus Kingmaker

Abstract: Leadership selection in the field of orthopaedic surgery takes place in many settings, including national, regional, and local associations; academic departments; and private practice groups. In general, there is neither a consistent method of competency-based leadership selection nor a codified set of criteria by which to identify a successful leader in national organizations. This can potentially lead to leadership based on personality rather than process. Polling results among the orthopaedic leaders who were present at the 2024 American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Annual Meeting Symposium revealed that 80% think that the selection process for board leadership for national orthopaedic organizations needs to improve, and 75% think that the selection process for academic department chairs also needs to improve. This summary of the 2024 AOA Symposium provides a strategy for consistent, competency-based leadership selection in orthopaedic organizations, identifies potential key selection criteria that are necessary to identify talent, and enumerates steps that can be used by nominating or search committees. Although the focus of this work is directed toward the process that is used to identify leaders for national orthopaedic organizations, features of academic medical leadership and corporate talent selection will be highlighted for consideration and translation to the orthopaedic community.