North Texas Dentistry Volume 9 Issue 3 2019 ISSUE 3 DE | Page 12

practice management
REDEFINING
LEADERSHIP
by Cathy Jameson, PhD
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn
more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”
D
o you think of yourself as a
leader? Well, I do. If you are
on a team, of any kind, includ-
ing a dental team, you are a leader. No
matter what your role, you are a leader.
First, you are a leader of yourself. Each
day — every day, you decide how you will
approach the day. You decide about the
attitude you will bring to the day. You
decide if you will be an asset to the
organization — or not! You decide if you
will exert extra effort to create and main-
tain happy patients so they will accept
recommendations, follow through with
treatment, stay with the practice, and
refer others to you. You choose. As a
leader of yourself, you decide how you
will impact each day — and, ultimately,
the productivity of your practice.
Second, each person is a leader of team-
mates. Teammates must be able to count
on one another. Your colleagues need to
trust that you will do what you are sup-
posed to do, when and how you are sup-
– John Quincy Adams
posed to do it. And, you have to count on
your teammates in the same way. The
systems of the practice are so inter-
twined that if one person — one system
— isn’t working well, everything bottle-
necks! Accountability determines the
smoothness of operation, the control of
stress and the ultimate productivity of
the practice. Helping each other makes it
possible for the days to run smoothly and
successfully. Everyone wins.
Third, you are a leader of patients. You
cannot — nor would you want — to push
a patient into making a decision. How-
ever, you can lead them into making a
decision — one that is good for them: a
decision to accept the treatment that the
doctor is recommending for them—treat-
ment that will help them to be healthier
or more attractive — or both. Your inter-
action with patients will influence their
opinion of your team, your employer,
and your organization. You are the face
of the organization with each and every
12 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
interaction. This is called engagement.
Engagement is considered the most
important factor in businesses in the 21st
century. Engaged team members create
and retain engaged patients. And
engaged team members accept the role
of leader and the privileges that come
with that role.
TWO TYPES OF LEADERSHIP
Transactional Leadership
In a work environment where the lead-
ership style is transactional, the leader
dictates down to rest of the team what,
when, and how they will do everything.
The leader outlines requirements, results
that are expected, and rewards. There is
little interactive communication. Cre-
ativity is not encouraged. Rewards are
defined by money not fulfillment or
growth. Rewards for work well done are
finite. There’s not much room for per-
sonal development.
Transactional leadership is a hierarchical
style of leadership with a top-down style
of authority. The employee does not par-
ticipate in decision making, nor are their
ideas encouraged. Communication chan-
nels between executives and employees
is limited.