6 Essential Skills for Leading a Successful Dental Practice

Whether or not you realize it or have placed yourself knowingly in that role, as a dental practice owner, that’s exactly what you are, is a leader.  With that being said, being a leader does not come naturally to everyone – and that’s perfectly okay. In fact, it’s those differences that can really help set you apart from everyone else and with a bit of work, you could be the next Jeff Bezos (well, of the dental industry at least).

Dental B School breaks down some essential skills that dental practice owners and dental practice leaders should have.

Momentum

Momentum drives your practice forward; without it, you’ll be left in your competition’s dust.  It is up to you as the practice owner to keep that momentum going, to continue pushing progress in the right direction. 

One way to drive momentum amongst your staff is to include them in those big changes. Make sure that they’re aware of what’s changing, the reason it’s changing, allow them the ability to voice any concerns that they may have, and make it clear to them what role they will play in making the changes a success.

Set the Example

Yes, you own the dental practice, but if you’re not willing to “walk the walk”, then how can you realistically enforce that rule without losing the respect of your employees?  Not only could that mentality lose the respect of your employees, but it can also signal to them that you’re not committed to it and can set any new endeavors up for doom.

Celebrate Victories

No matter how small of a win, let your employees know that you see them and that they’re doing a great job. Positive reinforcement can help strength the bonds of your team.  Though we do recognize the necessity to also offer constructive criticism, there’s a good rule of thumb we recommend: Praise in public and criticize in private.

In fact, why not host a morale boosting event every so often? A potluck dinner, chili cookoff, paint night event, those will all go along way in both team building efforts and in boosting morale and really, making your dental practice one that your employees don’t want to leave!

Invest in Your Team

Being a skilled leader means more than just sharing your goals and vision with the team – it means making them a part of your goals and vision and equipping them with the training they need to be the best at their job.  Excelling at customer service and even communication skills can take time and practice.

Be the Inspiration

Inspire your team to work hard and to excel at what they do. Being an effective leader means motivation and inspiration over barking orders.  To accomplish this, you’ll need to earn your team’s confidence. In order to earn their confidence, consider having open and direct lines of communication between you and your employees.  That open line of communication helps people feel like you’ve heard and actually listened to them, and that you’ve made them feel more appreciated based on their contributions.

Never Stop Learning

A good leader is a humble one who acknowledges that they don’t know everything. As technology, the economy and every other driving force out there continue to change, there will always be new things to learn.  Places like Dental B School can help you keep abreast of some of those changes and even offer courses and a collection of free resources to ensure that you’re ahead of the curve.