The AOA: A Comprehensive House with Compassionate Leaders. Presidential Address to the AOA, June 15, 2020: AOA Critical Issues.

The American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) is the world's oldest orthopaedic association and it has been responsible for the founding of many prominent organizations as well as The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. While the AOA has traditionally focused on academic orthopaedic leadership, the time has come to expand our horizons and look to include all orthopaedic leaders from the wide variety of leadership roles in which they currently serve.Orthopaedic surgeons who demonstrate compassionate leadership will find that they create stronger, more successful teams. Compassionate leadership is a skill that can be learned, and investing the energy to develop this skill will have a profound impact on our success as orthopaedic surgeons and leaders.