Written by: Roger P. Levin, DDS
Dentists, like all businesspeople, should work toward being excellent leaders with continual growth and development. Why is leadership so important? It has a direct correlation to the level of practice production.
Leadership Traits That Increase Practice Production
1. Compassion
Compassion may not be everybody’s first item on a list of leadership traits, but in reality, it may be the single most important leadership trait of them all. This is especially true during a staffing crisis, where turnover is higher and recruiting is more challenging than ever. Leadership helps to keep the dental team in place, and compassionate leadership will keep them in place longer. Team members have a strong desire to know that you care about them and not just about making money. They understand that the practice needs to make money to exist, but they want to know that it is equally or even more important that they matter. It is important to take time to understand each team member, their individual motivations, and to show that you care about their happiness and their future.
2. Transparency
Team members today are no longer willing to blindly follow their leader. They want to know where they are going, what it will take to get there, and what it means for them. Transparency means including the team as early as possible in changes that you would like to see in the practice. Soliciting their opinions, gaining feedback, discussing the timing, and explaining what it will mean to each team member is critically important for leaders today. In the old model, a leader was simply someone who told other people what to do. That model is dead, and people today rebel against any structure in which they are not included.
3. Curiosity
This is another trait often left out of leadership lists, but it should definitely be included. Excellent leaders are curious. They are curious about the people they lead and about opportunities to improve practice performance. Let’s start with the people that you lead. They love to know that you care about them, that you are interested in them, and that you want to get to know them better over the years. At Levin Group, we suggest meeting with each team member every eight weeks or so for about 15 minutes just to check in. These conversations are the foundation of developing great relationships, which are essential for keeping your team long-term.
4. Change
Whether we like it or not, the world and dentistry are continually changing. Dentists who do not want to change will never emerge as excellent leaders. Change is essential to continuing to increase practice production. This means that change, especially in the areas of practice operations, systems, and development, is the only constant to ensure practice production increases every year.
Leadership is one of the key factors in increasing practice production on a consistent basis. Developing the right skills and behaviors will have a direct effect on the practice and the team. Leading the practice forward by understanding the current environment and identifying what is and is not working will ensure financial success and clinical excellence. People today want to be part of a team in which they feel included, appreciated, and have opportunities for growth and development. That is what dentists who want to become great leaders need to do.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO and Founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with over 30,000 clients to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, he has written more than 60 books and over 4,000 articles and regularly presents seminars in the U.S. and around the world.
To contact Dr. Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit www.levingroup.com or email rlevin@levingroup.com.
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Mango Matter from Pixabay.
