Sir, I read with great interest the paper by Janine Brooks MBE, on intelligent leadership and leadership skills.1

In dentistry it is often mooted that Leadership skills are essential, but in many circumstances obtaining them practically can be a challenge. This paper provided a structured, thoughtful, inspirational approach, applying this perfectly to dentistry.

As somebody involved in Dental Education some sections really resonated in developing Leadership skills across the dental team - '360 multi-source feedback is a useful tool for constructive, developmental feedback'.

In my experience this works best when team members are advised that this is not others judging, but allowing you the chance to see things from the perspective of another team member ie what is the nurse seeing that you are not? Why does the technician feel your communication skills are poor, but you don't? This perspective, may well be different to your own, but can be far more constructive in developing your skills rather than a debate on who is right or wrong. Creating a safe space for feedback and discussion is essential.

Similarly I thought the section on Integrity had so much value for the whole dental team.

'Integrity melds together honesty and ethical behaviour' and 'It's about doing the right thing even if it's not in your personal interest'.

This section highlighted the importance of leadership skills and the close relationship to professionalism when one considers doing the right thing particularly when things go wrong, much as suggested in the Professional Duty of Candour.2

There was so much in this article that was inspirational, informative, and in my opinion essential reading no matter the stage of your career.