Academic dental leaders make high-stakes decisions daily—often with incomplete information and competing pressures. This session explores the cognitive science behind expert decision-making, drawing on research from Kahneman, Klein, and Ericsson. Participants will examine how intuition develops through experience, identify cognitive biases that derail even seasoned leaders, and learn practical debiasing strategies. Through interactive demonstrations and case studies—including lessons from military leadership—attendees will discover how to cultivate better judgment in themselves and their teams. Leave with actionable tools to enhance decision quality across faculty development, curriculum planning, and institutional strategy.
Learning Objectives:
Distinguish between intuitive and analytical decision-making processes and identify when each approach is most effective for complex academic leadership challenges.
Recognize common cognitive biases that affect leadership decisions and implement strategies to mitigate their impact on organizational outcomes.
Apply a framework for developing expert judgment through deliberate practice, mentorship, and reflective feedback within my institutional role.
