Do's and don'ts for leadership

Efficiency, productivity, and communication are all reflections of your leadership skills. A mismanaged practice is a stressful place to work; however, dentists who work to improve their leadership skills can measurably reduce the stress in their practices.

Bring out your inner "coach." Understand that the relationship between a leader and a follower will work best when it's like that of a teacher and a student. Rather than just giving orders, give guidance. Work to bring out team members' better qualities and help them develop new skills.

Don't forget to set the pace. Whenever there are signs that the team is slowing down -- taking too long to answer the phone, getting behind on the schedule, reacting late to negative social media posts -- it's time for the leader to become the pacesetter. Remind team members about the importance of responding quickly and staying on schedule -- and about the performance targets they're expected to hit.

Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.