Lions are born leaders. Cubs are born with the instincts to hunt, propagate, thrive and lead… they just don't know it. The primary role of mature lions and lionesses is to awaken those instincts to ensure the success of the pride. One way to improve your practice is to think like a lion.

Leadership thinking has nothing to do with owning a business, number of people you manage, how old you are, or how long you've been in the business. It has everything to do with the mindset of an individual. As a dental professional, you already have the instinctive ability to lead from wherever you are. But many of you just don't know it (or trust it) yet. Your boss wishes you did.

Last year, I observed the Lioness Principle in action in a small, moderately successful, fee-for-service dental practice. The hygienist was a talented, articulate, knowledgeable woman who taught part-time at the local dental hygiene school. Regular dental hygiene exams produced very little dentistry and the growth of their periodontal program was at a standstill. Doctor and hygienist agreed there were many restorative and perio recommendations that were either not made, or not made convincingly. The reason they gave was a lack of time. The reason I saw was a lack of leadership thinking.

The doctor felt there was not enough time during the short hygiene exam to properly diagnose and present the treatment he saw in its entirety. The hygienist felt there was not enough time to properly use the intraoral camera, answer the subsequent treatment-related questions, or to chart complete probing. She felt that her team members had no time to assist with probing.

When we changed to leadership thinking and asked, "How can we?" suddenly, instinctively, possibilities popped like popcorn! We looked at how few cases it would take to more than justify a new, easier-to-use camera dedicated to the hygiene room. The hygienist arranged for her own training session on the camera to shorten the learning curve. The team practiced ways to educate patients more quickly and more convincingly about necessary treatment. They agreed on the type of patients who should be rescheduled for comprehensive examinations and the most compelling ways to do it. They began to systematically monitor practice and departmental statistics and learned how to analyze and improve them. In one year, the practice saw a 30% increase and a much higher level of job satisfaction from both the hygienist and doctor.

Recently, when I asked the hygienist privately what she felt the biggest catalyst for change had been, she stated that, unequivocally, it had been a change in her leadership attitude. She had underestimated how much the success of her department impacted the overall success of the practice and ultimate patient care. She'd also underestimated her ability to make it better. "I now know that if the morning meetings are boring and unproductive, if patients are not accepting treatment, if my doctor doesn't see the value in something I feel passionate about, I can do something about it. I ask myself one question: 'How can I? How can I convince him? How can I make the meetings more exciting or productive? How can I learn to phrase something differently so patients understand the importance of treatment?' My world has completely changed because of one question. I now feel like a leader rather than a follower, a passive employee, or a victim."

What does your boss wish you knew about leadership? The same things we wish from our children, spouses, teammates, association members, and fellow citizens: Leadership Thinking. But don't do it for your boss. Do it for yourself. Leadership thinking will not only improve the way you practice, but will lead to much bigger possibilities in the rest of your life.

Lioness leaders not only see greater potential in themselves but in all those whose lives they touch. They bring out this instinctive greatness in themselves and in others by asking "How can I? How can you? How can we?"

To improve your Lioness Leadership Thinking, remember:

• Leadership mindset is not just for owners / managers.
• Lead from where you are.
• Ask "How can I / we?" instead of "I can't." or "We don't have time."
• Understand practice / department / individual statistics and how to analyze and improve problem areas.
• Be aware of the role you play in the success of the practice and how important practice profitability is to the continued growth of the practice.
• Remember that the leadership of one person can literally turn an entire team attitude around.

Would you like to learn ways to ensure a productive team meeting? E-mail us at info@KatherineEitel.com with Team Meeting in the subject line. Create a team of leaders by attending a Lion Camp Leadership Experience at San Diego Wild Animal Park. Visit www.KatherineEitel.com to learn how.

Katherine Eitel is creator of The Lioness Principle and founder of Lioness Learning, a revolutionary training company helping dental and discretionary healthcare professionals access and harness intuitive leadership, instinctive greatness, and phenomenal, non-scripted communication skills. Their Lion Camp Leadership Experience at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, CA is the premier Team Retreat for healthcare teams nationwide. Call us at (800) 595-7060.