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Student Life

The NYU Dentistry Student Leadership Track

Problem Solving: When to put out fires, and when to ignite them

There is no doubt that leaders are expected to solve problems. Leaders are the people we turn to in times of worry and questioning, and most leaders want to immediately jump to action. But how are leaders expected to dream up the next big vision for their team if they are constantly answering questions or putting out fires?

This semester The NYU Dentistry Student Leadership Track will be running 3 different workshops centered around Leadership and Problem Solving. We will explore the concepts of systems thinking, coaching, and politics in order to help students understand how utilizing these techniques can help them start solving the right problems with creative and innovative solutions.

For more information, check out our schedule below: 


Power & Politics: Utilizing Your Power to Solve Problems

Presented by Selena Drobnick
Program Coordinator, Student Life & Leadership Initiatives

Politics is not a dirty word! As a leader the importance of being able to navigate politics well and avoid "dirty politics" cannot be undervalued. In this workshop participants will explore the three types of power (positional power, expert power, and network power) and discuss how their progression can combine to support impactful changes in the way one works within their environment. Through the use of case studies and power mapping, this workshop will help students identify when political skill sets are in play, and understand the political dimensions they are utilizing (or underutilizing!) in their own leadership style.


Why Does This Keep Happening? Systems Thinking and the Ecosystem Mentality

Presented by Selena Drobnick
Program Coordinator, Student Life & Leadership Initiatives

Ever put a Band-Aid solution on a problem, wishing and hoping that this time it will stick? Nine times out of ten Band-Aid solutions fail because they aren't solving the right part of the problem. Systems Thinking is a design approach to problem solving based in root cause analysis and the external factors that pressurize and alleviate a system. Sound complicated? It doesn't have to be! In this workshop participants will be guided through the deliberate and systematic approach to problem solving so that they may understand problems holistically and develop solutions utilizing the strengths of the system in which they exist.


How NOT to Solve Other Peoples Problems: Increase Your Coaching Skills

Presented by Selena Drobnick
Program Coordinator, Student Life & Leadership Initiatives

It's impossible to get things done when you are constantly interrupted and asked to put out someone else's fire. As a leader, however, by putting out someone else's fire one creates a culture in which team members are dependent on their help. Want a solution? It's called Coaching. Coaching language helps leaders encourage their team members to think through problems, develop solutions, and cultivate self-efficacy to implement them. This workshop will explore the underlying principles and practices of the coaching field, and leave students with four different techniques and models that they can immediately apply to their work with their colleagues and teams!

View previous NYU Dentistry Student Leadership Track programs