Take me to your (future) leader.

The future of radiology depends in large part on the quality of its leaders. Radiology organizations that lack leadership, or that are poorly led, are unlikely to thrive. If radiology as a whole does not enjoy effective leadership, its very existence may be threatened. It is not inconceivable that, during the course of the next few decades, the medical specialty of radiology as we know it might cease to exist. Radiology might flounder for lack of leadership and get carved up by other medical specialties. Or radiology organizations might persist, but with their management and control taken over by other professionals, such as businessmen, much like the sea of change in hospital leadership that has taken place during the past few decades. There is good reason to think that radiology’s leadership development “farm system” is not thriving. In fact, there is good reason to question whether such a farm system exists at all. For example, a recent meeting of chairs of midwestern radiology departments identified no fewer than 14 academic radiology departments that were without a chair. The fact that radiology departments and organizations have not done a better job of developing individuals to fill these positions is a major contributor to the current predicament. Moreover, factors such as reduced clinical reimbursements, “turf wars” with other specialties, and the increasing complexity of radiology departments and health care organizations make the challenges of leadership seem ever more daunting. Radiology must step up to the plate and begin doing a better job of cultivating its own leadership. In this endeavor, it is imperative that radiology organizations such as the American College of Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America, the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Association of University Radiologists, and even the American Board of Radiology seek out opportunities to play greater roles in leadership development. Substantial resources, both financial and human, must be brought to bear on the problem. Because radiology does not have a tradition of strong leadership development programs, these organizations must seek out collaborations with other disciplines that have expertise in the field of leadership, such as history, public policy, and management. Collaborations with industry also should be explored. The General Electric–Association of University Radiologists Radiology Research Academic Fellowship has helped develop a new cadre of health services researchers in the field, and a similar program in leadership development would be welcome. In addition to mobilizing the commitment of radiology organizations to address the leadership challenge, radiology must begin to define a curriculum for leadership development. What do effective leaders know, what skills do they possess, and what practical experiences do they bring to bear on organizational problems? What characteristics separate effective leaders from ineffective leaders? Merely having the will to lead is not enough; one must also know how to do it, and do it well. The different personal characteristics and styles of leaders have been previously addressed in the radiology literature (1), but other aspects of leadership, such as the essential organizational functions leaders perform, the key tasks in the self-development of leaders, and the vital role of moral vision in effecAcad Radiol 2001; 8:762–767