Leading with Respect: Maintaining Professional Relationships as a Leader in Dentistry
Stepping into a leadership role in dentistry brings a new set of responsibilities. Some of which include clinical oversight, business decisions, operational decision-making, and, perhaps most delicately of all, managing relationships with your colleagues.
Whether you have been promoted from within or hired into a leadership role, maintaining professionalism without creating distance or discomfort is key to earning trust and guiding your team effectively.
Creating the right balance between authority and approachability can make or break your leadership success in a field built on trust, communication, and collaboration. Successful dental teams thrive on cohesion.
Relationships naturally shift when someone transitions from peer to supervisor or holds any form of authority within a team. Professional boundaries matter in leadership roles in dentistry.
Setting Professional Boundaries
Maintaining professional boundaries builds credibility and fosters fairness, protects leaders and staff from ethical gray areas, creates a healthy and respectful team culture, and ensures that the focus remains on patient care rather than personal dynamics.
Leadership doesn’t mean creating separation. Successful leaders create connections, build relationships, and unite people towards a common purpose or value. Respect, not familiarity, is what earns lasting and healthy trust.
There are five guiding principles to maintain healthy and professional relationships:
1. Clear Communication
A leader communicates clearly and consistently by avoiding favoritism or unclear directives. They should use respectful, direct communication with everyone, whether it’s a new team member or a long-term colleague.
Set clear expectations and goals early and follow through consistently.
2. Fairness Over Friendship
It is essential to prioritize fairness over personal relationships in your professional practice. While forming connections and relationships is natural, especially with former peers, leadership demands impartiality.
Refrain from sharing sensitive information, engaging in gossip, or fostering cliques. Your team must understand that decisions are made based on merit rather than personal loyalty.
3. Remaining Approachable and with Boundaries
It is important to remember to stay approachable and set boundaries by being warm, supportive, and kind. However, remember that you are not a peer in every situation.
Avoid over-disclosing personal struggles or participating in conversations that could blur your role as a leader.
4. Lead By Example
You want to lead by example. Your behavior sets the tone for professionalism across the entire team. Model punctuality, accountability, and remaining calm under pressure. People do notice how you respond to challenges and how you treat others.
5. Provide Feedback
Feedback should be provided privately. When coaching or correcting team members, do so privately with compassion and clarity. Public feedback should be reserved for celebrating achievements. This approach maintains dignity and fosters team trust.
The transition may require careful handling if you have been promoted within your team. It is advisable to address it directly by saying, “I understand that our dynamic has changed, but I value our working relationship and aim to lead with fairness and transparency. I will continue to support you and the entire team.” Over time, your actions will demonstrate your ability to lead with integrity and inclusiveness.
Embracing a leadership role in dentistry requires a thoughtful balance of professionalism, empathy, and vision. Leaders can inspire teams to excel while cultivating a positive and respectful work environment by fostering trust, setting clear boundaries, and encouraging collaboration.
True leadership is not about commanding authority but about empowering others to succeed in their roles, ultimately ensuring the highest standard of care for patients.
Final Thought: Professional, Not Distant
“You can not shake hands with a clenched fist.” — Indira Gandhi.
A famous quote about maintaining professional relationships emphasizes the importance of being open and approachable, both in personal and professional interactions with others, as a closed fist signifies negativity and resistance. An open hand invites collaboration and kindness.
In dentistry, leadership is about influence and impact, not control. You can lead effectively while remaining kind, collaborative, and grounded. The key is to maintain boundaries that protect you, your authority, and your relationships, ensuring a work environment where everyone can do their best work for those who need it the most: the patients.
About the Author
Jamie Kerns, MAADOM
Jamie is the Practice Manager at Palmetto Smiles in Florence, South Carolina, where she brings over two decades of experience in the dental profession. Known for her leadership and passion for people, she is also the founder and president of the South Carolina Dental Connection DPLN—a dynamic network dedicated to supporting and empowering dental professionals across the state.
A proud wife and mother, she finds deep purpose in helping others grow both personally and professionally.
