Providing high-quality dental care to patients is more than just carrying out their treatment well and on time. It also includes providing excellent customer service and care from the moment they pick up the phone to make an appointment to when they get out of the surgery chair.
Nowadays, a person can choose from scores of dentists. So, how can you encourage clients to choose your dental practice above all others? The first step is to create a dental practice where the staff are happy, empowered, and motivated. The way you lead your team is directly related to that.
Whether you already own a dental practice or aspire to, understanding the importance of leadership is crucial. This blog will help you understand what leadership is and give you a three-step process for evaluating your leadership skills so that you can become the best leader for your current or future dental practice.
What is Leadership?
Leadership is defined in many different ways, but the common theme is that a leader motivates, guides, and influences others to achieve specific goals.
The scholar W.C.H. Prentice described leadership as ‘the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants’. This is to say that a successful leader is someone who can understand people’s motivations, and prompt them to participate in a way that meets their own needs and the needs of the group’s interests or purpose.
A good leader must recognise that everyone is different. What motivates one person may not be the same for another. For example, in the context of dentistry, your 20-something-year-old hygiene assistant may be motivated by increased responsibility and additional opportunities, whereas your 60-something-year-old receptionist may just be looking for something that keeps her busy and gives her a paycheque at the end of each month.
A good leader will recognise these differing motivations and respond to them accordingly.
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Do You Have What It Takes?
How can a leader lead others to achieve their goals and the common goal of the dental practice if the leader does not know their own needs?
Leadership comes naturally to some and not to others. Take a moment to follow these three steps to see how your leadership skills stack up.
Self-Evaluate Your Skills and Abilities as a Leader
Just as you should do with your staff, you should consider identifying your strengths and weaknesses, especially in skill and knowledge areas such as communication, conflict resolution, decision-making, and emotional intelligence.
Reflect on your past experiences as a leader, of people you’ve worked with, and for who you thought were exceptional leaders. What did you do well? Where did you fall short? What did they do differently, and can you implement that yourself? Asking your team, peers, and mentors for honest feedback about your leadership style can also be invaluable.
Create a Plan Moving Forward
Once you’ve identified areas needing improvement, you should create a strategy for yourself moving forward. Create clear, actionable, and specific goals that characterise your leadership journey—for example, improving approachability through relaxed environment team meetings with your dental staff.
Use the resources made available to you: attend workshops and read books. Our blog has plenty of resources available, and our world-leading faculty offers support for those enrolled in one of our courses.
Your goals should have a timeline attached. This timeline can change when you review your goals regularly. A structured plan ensures you stay focused and accountable in your journey towards better leadership.
Be Consistent
Leadership is not just about how you perform at work; it’s also about consistency between your professional and personal life.
It’s often said that you should be authentic to become a better leader. Creating genuine connections with your team and patients while you work on your own abilities will build trust and respect.
Final Thoughts
Leadership in dental practice ownership is a multifaceted role that requires continuous self-improvement, strategic planning, and a commitment to consistency.
However, leadership might not come naturally! As dentists, we often find ourselves in leadership roles simply because we’re dentists. It’s up to us to take steps to improve our leadership skills as we would any other kind of skill, by proactively learning, self-evaluating, and taking action to improve.
By doing so, you can enhance your practice’s success and create a positive, thriving environment for both your team and your patients.
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