Australasian Dentist Issue 89

Category 126 AustrAlAsiAn Dentist l eadership in business has always been important, however in a post pandemic world in which uncertainty is a reliable constant, the attention and importance we assign to it should be weighted more heavily. Apart from the obvious realities of the market, my case for strengthening the leadership skills of dental business owners rests in still relevant Darwinian philosophy: those who adapt to changing circumstances will survive. if we apply this rationale to operating a dental practice today, it translates to developing the mental fortitude and resilience to navigate uncertainty. it means being able to work to an adapted or even improvised plan. Astute leadership of your team is a must, particularly when your team may be unsettled and stressed, but is still required to focus on business goals. A new leadership model Although most of us are schooled in the concept of a leader-follower model, the prevailing uncertainty demands a different style of leadership. in his book, turn the ship Around!, author David Marquet shares his personal experience of integrating the leader-leader model on the us nuclear submarine, santa Fe. in short, when he realised unquestioning followers put the entire crew and submarine at risk, he shifted gears to a ‘radical’ model wherein each crew member became a leader and assumed responsibility for Leadership The importance of leadership in a post-pandemic world Why it matters in dental practice By Dr Jesse Green everything he did, from clerical tasks to crucial combat decisions. the results were remarkable. After years as the worst performer, santa Fe was awarded the us navy’s highest accolades. Most dental practice owners will feel uneasy about handing over control of the ‘ship’ to team members, however, for sustained growth to occur, it’s what’s required. instead of relying on one captain of the ship, you empower other people to think like you. rather than maintaining a position as the font of all knowledge, where you train people on what and how to do things, you develop them to think instead. in practical terms, what it means is the person with the information is making the decision. Practice all levels of leadership Apart from the leader-leader model, it pays to understand what i refer to as primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of leadership. Primary leadership is about leading yourself, for example, maintaining productive, healthy habits that improve your life in all areas. secondary leadership is about leading your team, while tertiary leadership refers to leading the leaders of your team. As you’d expect, we don’t jump from being good leaders of ourselves to great leaders of leaders. it’s a process. As your business shifts from profitable to scalable, the value of your leadership must increase too because your business growth correlates directly to your growth as a business owner. that means you can finally put to bed the myth that great leaders are born. the reality is leadership skills must be learned and developed. Hand over control with accountability the leader-leader model does not mean you eschew all leadership responsibilities. On the contrary, as the business owner, it’s your job to communicate the business vision, establish boundaries and expectations, and uphold accountability. in this role of oversight, Patrick lencioni’s five dysfunctions of a team are a worthwhile barometer for the challenges your leadership must address. lencioni cites absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results as the armaments used in workplace battlefields. However, lencioni is an optimist and encourages those striving to improve their leadership skills to start by engaging in trust building exercises, recognising the significance of trust between individual team members and in leaders. Once a solid foundation of trust is established, the other dysfunctions can be addressed progressively. Changing the model of leadership for your practice may not occur overnight, but David Marquet’s example shows us it can. in one day he changed his leadership model and very quickly, he was working with a crew of leaders; and you can too. u Learn more at https://savvydentist.com ColuMnIsts Jesse Green