Adaptability, learning speed and a focus on community are some of the critical skills CEOs need to successfully run a dental business in today’s ever-changing industry.
Nine dental leaders recently connected with Becker’s to discuss the essential skills CEOs need in today’s business environment.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What critical skills must CEOs have to succeed in today’s business environment?
Phil Cassis. Co-Founder and CEO of Providence Dental Partners (Atlanta): In today’s rapidly evolving dental industry, emotional intelligence and adaptability have become the two most critical skills for CEOs of DSOs. Emotional intelligence enables leaders to build trust, navigate difficult conversations, inspire teams and maintain alignment across diverse groups of clinicians and support staff. Equally important is the ability to embrace and lead change as market conditions, technology, reimbursement models and workforce dynamics continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace. CEOs who can effectively connect with people while continuously adapting their organizations are best positioned to drive sustainable growth and long-term success.
William Gecsey. President and CEO of Familia Dental and Vivid Smiles (Schaumburg, Ill.): CEOs in the DSO space need to understand how to balance business strategy and goals within a framework that ensures regulatory compliance, promotes clinical excellence and embraces technology and innovation, all encompassed within a supportive and communicative culture. At the core of Familia are its team members. Above all else, the ability to build a team that embraces our community-based mission and relentlessly protects our culture has been key. The ability to not only relay critical priorities, but to do so in a direct and concise manner has helped engage our team in our own success. Lastly, the ability to listen and actively solicit feedback from both patients and our team members has helped shape our direction and approach to deliver high-quality, compassionate care.
Joshua Elliss, DMD. CEO of Encanto Dental Group (Deming, N.M.): I met today with a friend of mine who is a fantastic dentist. I have been impressed with his office ever since I’ve known him, but the problem is that his success is not easily replicated. He is personally involved in every aspect of his practice, putting in hours after his clinical work to perfect the office. To me, this highlights a critical skill for dentists transitioning into dental CEOs: the ability to delegate.
The difference between us is not clinical — he is probably a better clinician than I am. However, any success I have achieved is because I hire good people and trust them to do their work without constantly checking in or taking over when things aren’t instantly perfect. Do we have failures? Certainly. But one person can only do so much. Dental CEOs need people and teams to run their organizations, and people and teams will never develop if they aren’t allowed to learn and grow from their own failures.
Mary Ladd. CEO of Ladd Dental Group (Kokomo, Ind.): I think in order to be successful, CEOs need to stay calm and unflappable … never let yourself get too high or too low. Don’t ride a rollercoaster of emotions. Stay humble. Ego destroys. Be slow to anger, slow to speak and quick to listen.
It’s not exactly a skill, but be willing to build a solid, core team of individuals who are smarter and wiser than [you] in their area of expertise, and who aren’t afraid to share their ideas and feedback.
Another important skillset to have as a successful CEO is to be inquisitive and good at asking questions.
Emily Letran, DDS: In today’s environment, CEOs should have a few basic skills:
1. Clarity: Know your most important values and set up goals in alignment with those values.
2. Have courage: Being a CEO is all about making difficult decisions. You may have to restructure the company, let go of a manager or maybe you plan for an exit. All of these require being able to make the difficult decision using all the facts and resources.
3. Create influence: Understanding how to communicate where you can advise and motivate your team to do what you want. This could involve the principles of persuasion, having empathy and showing enough expertise where people respect your opinion. All of this must be done in authenticity, given the fact that people are heavily influenced by social media and the like.
These three basic characteristics will help CEOs be more successful in today’s environment.
Paul McTaggart. Founder and CEO of Medical Departures, Dental Departures and CuraPay Global: The most important skill for CEOs today is learning speed. Markets change, technology changes, customer behavior changes, and now AI is changing all three simultaneously. The CEOs who win won’t necessarily be the smartest in the room; they’ll be the fastest learners. That means staying close to customers, making decisions with incomplete information, allocating capital carefully and embracing technologies that make teams more effective. In my view, the biggest risk for CEOs today isn’t making a mistake — it’s moving too slowly while the world changes around them.
Thomas von Sydow. CEO of Cornerstone Dental Specialties (Irvine, Calif.): While 2026 was supposed to be a breakout year, it is proving to not be. I believe to navigate the next 36 months, CEOs that succeed will focus on these key areas. First and foremost, human capital management. Dentistry is a service business delivered by other humans.
CEOs cannot afford to delegate recruitment and retention strategies. While turnover may not impact new patient flow, it does have a dramatic impact on continuing care. Nobody wants to go into a healthcare office and see all new faces every six months. CEOs also need to keep very close ties with the CFO. Money is staying expensive, and focusing on your next capital round is no longer about revenue or new locations alone. It’s about the quality and security of earnings. AI is here, embrace it, study it and dig in so you invest in real operationally beneficial platforms.
Lastly, if you are not in the weeds, get there. I meet too many CEOs that really do not understand how dental offices flow. Get in offices, watch what’s actually happening so when you do see data, you can understand what’s going on. You measure data, but you manage people. If you try to manage data and measure people, it will fail.
Sami Webb, DDS. CEO of Epic4 Specialty Partners (Scottsbluff, Neb.): The most critical skill CEOs need today is the ability to lead through complexity without losing sight of people. Markets change, technology evolves and economic conditions fluctuate, but organizations succeed when leaders can provide clarity, build trust and keep teams aligned around a shared purpose.
Equally important is the ability to surround yourself with great people. No CEO has all the answers, and the most successful leaders recognize that their greatest strength is often the talent around them. Building a team of exceptional individuals, empowering them to lead and creating a culture of accountability and collaboration allows organizations to move faster, adapt better and achieve more than any one leader could accomplish alone.
Finally, CEOs must have the courage to make difficult decisions while staying true to their values. Growth and profitability matter, but long-term success is built by leaders who consistently do the right thing for their customers, employees and stakeholders. In the end, great companies are built by great people, and it is the CEO’s responsibility to create an environment where those people can thrive.
James Willis, DDS. Willis Family Dentistry (Fisherville, Va.): Adaptability. The CEOs who win over the next decade won’t be the ones who optimized the old playbook. They’ll be the ones willing to make their own business model obsolete before someone else does it for them.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Future of Dentistry Roundtable, taking place September 14-15 in Chicago, dental leaders and executives will gain insights into emerging technologies, practice growth strategies and the evolving landscape of dental care delivery, with a focus on innovation, patient experience and operational excellence. Apply for complimentary registration now.