Four Pillars of Effective Leadership: Part 1
Effective leadership can be defined in many ways. Many have tried to define the difference between a good and a great leader. Successful leadership often has several attributes that play into dental office teams.
Dental office managers, aside from the doctors, are often considered office leaders because they are expected to know the ins and outs of the day-to-day. Managers must ensure the successful run of the day while dealing with issues that arise, support their staff, and make sure the patients are satisfied.
To do this, a dental office manager must hold up their team like a pillar or column supporting a building; a strong foundation lays the framework for the rest of the team. Pillars are not weak, and they hold strong; if you look at the Parthenon in Greece, it is held up by pillars estimated to have been built in the mid-400 BC. This building still stands proudly today because of the valuable and meticulous design of the pillars.
Effective leadership can be attributed to many steps, but four actions stand out more than others. These actions will be defined in a two-part series and explained below.
Approach
The first of the four pillars is the approach. In this case, it means the leaders must be approachable to their teammates. If any team member feels uncomfortable coming to you with an issue or a problem, it is already an uphill battle.
How dental office managers present themselves makes or breaks how our team connects and communicates with us. We must have body language that shows we want to help and solve anything that comes our way.
An office manager should always prioritize connecting with the team in a way that helps us to understand who they are and what they need. Making dental colleagues feel seen and heard is one of a manager’s most valuable actions.
An easy, genuine way is to ask what their plans are for the weekend and how their family is doing, or recommend a book, read it together, and discuss it weekly. If you point out that many coworkers spend just as much, if not more, time with their dental team office members than their actual family members, it is easy to see why we need to practice relationship building.
Invest in yourself and the office teammates; it will go a long way.
Relationship building is not a one-time interaction; it takes time to build, but it will create an unstoppable culture and a team that will want to follow you. Set aside time every single day to make these genuine interactions.
Intentionality
The second pillar of good leadership is intentionality. The definition of intentionality is the fact of being deliberate or purposive.
Dental office managers cannot go through their day-to-day without being intentional and successful. What actions managers take and how they are performed must be executed precisely each and every day, all day long. We cannot fly by the seat of our pants because our team will sense our spontaneous actions and could feel lost because there is no intention in our workflow.
An example of intentional actions is taking the time to check in throughout the day with each teammate. These small actions take a short amount of time out of the day but can make sure all teammates feel seen, heard, and valued. Engaging with others early in the day means that the manager can address issues quickly before they spill into the workflow, possibly causing further hurdles.
Dental office managers should remember that they are to support their team constantly throughout the day, so more than one check-in may be needed throughout the day, as conflicts can occur without warning.
Asking teammates how you can help them approach issues ensures that problems get tackled as soon as possible and may even allow a more productive work environment because it helps prevent further disruptions later in the day.
As Maya Angelou once said, “People will not remember what you did, but they will remember how you made them feel.”
I encourage each dental office manager to examine how they approach their teammates and ask if their teammates feel like their leadership style is approachable. Examine the daily actions and processes to see how your day could be more intentional to ensure a strong relationship with the dental team.
The emphasis on planning and purposeful actions underscores the importance of effective team management and support. Make that the challenge this week to start building your pillars of effective leadership.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
About the Author
Zachary Shelley, MAADOM
Zachary Shelley’s transition from a professional skateboarder to a dedicated dental office manager is truly inspiring. His passion for growing dental practices and building strong teams is evident in his work with Satellite Family Dentistry and Beachside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry. In addition, he founded the Dental Office Manager Leadership Network Inc.
Zachary was inducted as an AADOM Fellow in 2022 and Masters in 2024. Dentistry has allowed him to use his skills to help grow two successful practices and build an amazing dental team.
Zachary has been in the dental field for over 15 years and, throughout that time, has followed his passion for excelling in the practice he works for and motivating his dental teammates. In his free time, he loves to spend time with his wife and three boys.
