Do's and don'ts for changing your leadership style

Leadership is situational. There is no one method or approach, but one thing is for sure: Leadership must change as the environment changes. Leaders who are using the same methods to run their practices that they did prepandemic may find that they have a whole new set of challenges.

Define the practice purpose. Most practices don't focus enough on helping their teams understand their real purpose for being in the practice. People today want to feel a purpose in their work, and companies that help communicate that purpose and continue to focus on that message will retain team members longer, create higher work performance, and attract new team members more easily.

Don't forget to have fun. During the pandemic, we saw many dental staff members resigning their positions without other jobs lined up simply because they didn't enjoy the practice they were in. This has never happened before, so we need to ask ourselves what's missing. What is missing is the fun. As I like to say in seminars, "Bring back the fun." Having fun in the office creates better work, better focus, and a strong desire to do well and support colleagues and coworkers.

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].

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