Leadership and culture drive an orthodontic team. When a group of individuals is put together into an organization, leadership skills become paramount. Culture develops by intent or by happenstance but is a consequence of behaviors and the organization’s core values. We often see businesses that write mission statements and display their core values. These are important, but a team’s behavior is mostly driven by how they live those values. Sometimes the mission is just a statement, but it should be more than just lip service; amazing teams live it.
Mercenaries
Transactional relationships drive mercenaries. Mercenary bosses focus on their competition and financial statements. Profit first, focus on the short-term and focus on opportunity. They are often the genius boss with a group of followers on their payroll. A staff member who follows the mercenary mindset focuses on their pay rate. For them, this is a J-O-B, and if someone else offers them $1-2 more per hour, they are likely going to change jobs. Entitlements are a large focus on mercenary teams. Entitled doctors and staff use phrases such as: “the market owe us, the boss should give us, it’s not fair that this is happening to me or us.” These teams externalize problems and dodge responsibility. How many times have you heard someone with this mindset tell you, “that’s not my job.”
Missionaries
Contribution drives missionary teams. Top-performing, passionate leaders develop teams driven by a mission that gives their cause meaning. These doctors focus on patient care and pay special attention to mentor and coach their teams. Their mission and purpose are aligned and guide their decisions. These practices do well financially and earn good wages, but their focus is not on their earnings and wages but ownership. An ownership mentality comes from the mission and is a result of this culture of leadership. Individuals thrive as missionaries when what they do is bigger than themselves, and they have the opportunity to contribute and “own” their part.
Which kind of practice do you lead? What type of team do you want to have? If you are living the dream and driving the mission, congrats to you! Keep it up since it takes continual effort to maintain, but worth it. If you feel your practice needs a revamp, start by revisiting your mission. Start with the top and move down your organization, looking at the purpose driving your team.
