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40 Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | July-August 2015practice management THE BUSINESS OF DENTISTRY www.idem-singapore.com INTERNATIONAL DENTAL EXHIBITION AND MEETING APRIL 8 - 10, 2016 Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre Held InEndorsed By In Cooperation WithSupported By Singapore Dental Association Co-organizer Ms. Stephanie Sim Tel: +65 6500 6723 Fax: +65 6296 2771 s.sim@koelnmesse.com.sg Visit us at V006, Passage 10/11 Now Open for Exhibition Applications, Sponsorship Opportunities Supporting Forums IDEM16 297x210mm Dental Tribune Middle East.ai 1 23/2/15 11:30 pm Fiona Stuart-Wilson is Director of UMD Professional, a leading provider of management quali- fications in dental practice and a consultant in dental practice management. fiona@umdprofessional.com About the Author The seven essential habits of dental leaders By Fiona Stuart-Wilson I f you are running a practice it can be all too easy to get tied up in the day to day activities of getting from the beginning of the day to the end, and forget to focus on a very important key to the success of your practice – yourself. Whether you are new to management and leadership or have several years of experi- ence in running your practice it’s important to take charge of your own development in this area to ensure that you are as ef- fective as possible in leading and managing your team and your practice. Leadership or management? There is constant debate over the difference between leader- ship and management. Some would suggest that managers plan, organize and coordinate, whereas leaders are expected to inspire and motivate. In reality in the daily life of dental practice dentists have to do both. Habit 1 - Think like a leader Successful leaders are critical thinkers; they ask why things happen the way they do. They also look beyond the status quo to look ahead at the horizon. This means that they can antici- pate potential problems before they happen, and come up with ways for avoiding and prevent- ing problems before they arise. Similarly they can see potential opportunities and take advan- tage of them to benefit their practice. Habit 2 – Embrace change A hallmark of a leader is not that they keep the practice running smoothly but that they act as an agent of change and improve- ment. Turn an enquiring mind on how you could do thing bet- ter and differently, not only in areas which you feel need im- provement but also in other ar- eas which are going well. Take a step back from what you are doing day to day and consider to improve the way the things are done. What are the advantages of changing things? What are the disadvantages and are they outweighed by the benefits? Habit 3 - Be disciplined Good leaders demonstrate self- discipline and make sure oth- ers on their team are disciplined about the way that they do things too so that high standards are maintained. This means on a basic level leaving your personal problems at home. Your staff should not be able to tell that you have had a bad weekend or an argument with your family. Your team need to see positive professionalism from you at all times. Simple ways of showing discipline include always being on time, always being prepared and always being informed about what is going on. Habit 4 - Listen actively One of the most important skills for any leader is the ability to lis- ten. By doing this they can get feedback from others and tap into the knowledge, experience and views of team members. Habit 5 - Learn to handle con- flict and make decisions Managers need to know how to recognise and deal with dif- ficult situations and resolve conflicts, and not simply ignore them in the hope they will sort themselves out. Address is- sues, communicate with people about unacceptable behaviour or practices privately, objectively and honestly. Part of the role of a leader is to use their judgement and make decisions, and these may not always be popular ones. Habit 6 - Motivate others Good leaders notice the lit- tle things. They also influence people in a positive way. When members of a team or indeed an entire team lose their drive and passion for what they do, an ef- fective leader can detect a flag- ging team and energize and mo- tivate individuals to regain their passion for what they do. This means taking time to value and recognise people’s contribution to the practice. Habit 7 – Use a mentor Leadership can be lonely. Good leaders recognize too that they don’t know everything. Many identify and learn from a men- tor who can help them develop their ideas about management and work through their particu- lar leadership issues. Mentors will not tell you what to do but should help to motivate and em- power you to identify your own issues and goals, and explore ways of resolving or reaching them. Influence not authority The renowned management author Ken Blanchard, tells us. “The key to successful lead- ership today is influence, not authority.” Great dental prac- tices are ultimately made great the people who work there, by sound leadership and motivated staff who are enthusiastic about their role and their contribu- tion and keen to get on with the job. If you want to improve your leadership skills and influence your staff to take your practice to the next level, the more you de- velop these habits listed above, the more successful as a leader you are likely to be. Tel: +6565006723 Fax: +6562962771 IDEM16 297x210mm Dental Tribune Middle East.ai 123/2/1511:30 pm