10 Pulse Points For Million Dollar Practice Management

Early in my career, I realized I had been trainedwhen you earn your place as a leader.
well for examining, treating, and prescribing forIn every phase of life, leaders face crucial
my patients. I also realized that being trained asmoments when they must choose between
an optometrist is completely different than beingpushing onward or retreating. Leaders make it
trained to practice optometry or manage athrough those times by relying on tested principles
practice. I wasn't prepared for managing theand experience rather than knee-jerk emotional
business of a practice: hiring, managing, training,reactions. When you make a tough decision that
and leading employees.benefits others above yourself, you're making
By the time I realized I was unprepared, it was,decisions like a leader. Making a principle-based
of course, impossible to return to step one anddecision that's in the best interest of your
start over. I was a business owner and myemployees is perhaps the best way to
success was on the line. For the first three yearsdemonstrate your commitment and dedication to
of my practice, I read all of the books I could findputting your team first.
on how to better manage my practice. Eventually,There were many times over the course of my
I came to the conclusion that while managementcareer when I would have liked an increase in my
is important, what I really struggled with was howpersonal income; instead, I tightened my belt so
to separate management from leadership.that I could give my staff raises that were
Managing is done to employees. Leadership isdeserved and necessary to keeping them
done with employees. I was a good clinician and amotivated to growing the business. I viewed
good manager, but it was not until I became araises for my staff rather than myself as an
good leader that the practice began to growinvestment in the business that would ultimately
exponentially. Staff turnover became virtuallybenefit everyone, including me when the time
nonexistent, and I began looking forward to goingwas right.
to the office each day.6. Make enriching the lives of others your mantra.
What gives a doctor the right to lead?Leaders whose legacies are revered long after
It certainly isn't because they own the business orthey're gone helped people live better lives, reach
have earned the title, "Doctor." Positions, titles,beyond their comfort zones, and achieve their full
ranks, or degrees don't qualify anyone to leadpotential. Perhaps the highest calling of leadership,
others, nor does the ability to lead comeits highest value, is in what you can help others
automatically with age or experience. Ever heardbecome.
of the "natural born leader?" Many people feel thatMaybe it's the teacher in me or my interest in
if they weren't born a leader, they will never beseeing others learn, but one of my greatest
one. While it's true that some have a natural orpleasures has always been helping people
innate ability to lead, others become strongaccomplish things that they either didn't know or
leaders by first acknowledging that they aren't adidn't believe they could accomplish. This must
"natural born leader" and then learning, honing, andstem from my childhood: To say I wasn't a good
practicing leadership skills that serve them quitestudent would be an understatement of
well.monstrous proportion. At a young age, I was
Whether you are a natural born leader, a studentlabeled as that kid who was capable but didn't
of leadership, or a combination thereof, leadershipapply myself. Lazy. I could have done better.
skills must be groomed and constantly improved.It wasn't until I was in ninth grade that Edwin P.
To become the best you can be as a leader, youHeinrich, headmaster at St. Johns Country Day
must put forth constant, purposeful effort and beSchool recognized that I was bright enough to be
willing to invest time and resources in your ownadmitted to the prep school. He saw that I was a
personal development.visual learner and needed to get my hands on
I have learned that we aren't "given" the right tothings before I was in command of the
lead. We aren't "assigned" the position of leader.knowledge. The only times Dr. Heinrich ever
The right or privilege to lead can only be earned.showed any frustration or displeasure with me
Becoming a leader takes time, requiring devotionwas when he asked me to perform some
and a constant focus on your followers. In fact,classroom calculation and I responded that I
one of the most effective means of learning tocouldn't. (He told me in private after the class that
lead is to allow those who would follow to shapethe correct response was that I didn't know how,
you. Being an effective leader is not about makingnot that I couldn't.) To be a leader is to be a
other people follow, but rather becoming the kindteacher, and the difference between can and
of person they want to follow. You must learn tocan't is a not a matter of how your employees
create and describe a vision that otherslearn, but rather how you as a leader teach.
understand and want to join. Then, you mustHelping your employees become more
become the person that others trust to leadknowledgeable positions them to accept greater
them to where the vision guides you.responsibility. The more responsibility they can
I've identified 10 Pulse Points to guide you on youraccept, the more valuable they are, and the more
quest to becoming a better leader.valuable they are, the more they should be
1. Put your ego on the shelf. Truly great leaderscompensated. I followed this logic throughout my
are not interested in leadership for personal gain.career, and it's the best way I've found to
They are servants of those who follow. Greatincrease job satisfaction and eliminate employee
leaders aren't just remembered for the thingsturnover.
they accomplished but also the things7. The gift of power. A common mistake made
accomplished by those they lead. When I findby novice leaders is trying too hard to hold on to
myself in a situation where a patient thinks I'vepower. One of the ironies of leadership is that the
solved their problem, I accept their thanks andmore power you pass to your followers, the
explain how I couldn't have done it without mymore powerful you become. I encourage my
staff. While I might have made the diagnosis, itclients to see themselves more as a river than as
wouldn't have been possible without the dataa reservoir. Sharing your power strengthens
gathered by my staff and the insights they oftenothers in your organization, extending your
share.influence far beyond your own sphere.
If you really want people in your organization toA professional practice of any kind has one
follow, you must be willing to share (and pull themcommon limiting variable: time. By delegating tasks
into) the spotlight, recognizing them for a job wellto employees who have been trained and
done (which often goes unnoticed).entrusted with responsibility, you can maximize
2. First, learn to follow. It's difficult to become anthe amount of work accomplished, the number of
effective leader if you don't first learn to becomepatients seen, and the number of problems
a good follower. The United State Militarysolved. Any professional practice, from dentistry
Academy is perhaps one of the most recognizedto optometry, can benefit from investing in its
leadership institutions in the world. It teaches itsemployees. Remember, many hands make light
officers to first become effective followers.work.
Consider that West Point has produced more8. Seek counsel from those who follow.
leaders than the Harvard Business School. WhileRegardless of how smart leaders may be, or how
you, as a functioning part of the organization, canmuch experience they may have, seeking advice
be subordinate to another, your willingness toand direction from their followers always makes
follow is greatly enhanced by mutual respect.their decisions better. Decisions made with
3. Create positive relationships. Leadership is aconsideration for the input and experiences of
function of influence, which means it is, by nature,those the decisions affect are always superior to
relational. Today's generation of leaders seemwhat the leader can discern alone.
particularly aware of this and demonstrateYou may spend thousands of dollars flying in a
through their actions that their followers asconsultant to solve a problem at your company.
individuals are more important than their titles andThen, when the consultant is finished and gone, it's
positions. Today's leader knows that beforeup to you and your employees to live with the
people go along, they must get along.consequences of the consultant's plan. Think of
Because I had started my practice cold, I learnedyour staff as your inside consultants. Your staff
to perform every task and job in the business.members are intimately familiar with every facet
There was nothing I asked my employees to doof your practice, and more often than not, they
that I hadn't done, wouldn't still help them do, andcan give you better advice with less expense and
would do on my own if necessary. In 1993, I builtin less time than an outside consultant. Moreover,
a building to house our rapidly growing practice.after the decisions are made and the advice is
The staff and I were all happy to have a kitchenexecuted, your staff members are still around to
in the office so that eating lunch could be a moretweak the solution for peak performance. They
relaxing and enjoyable break in the middle of aknow (or will learn) that the advice they give
busy day.today is what they must live with tomorrow.
Because the cleaning crew only came in on9. Share praise, and take responsibility. As a
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, it wasleader, any praise or positive recognition you
necessary for someone to take the trash fromreceive should always be redirected to your staff
the kitchen to the outside trash container onor followers. Criticism and negative comments
Tuesdays and Thursdays. In staff meetings, weshould always be deflected away from them. As
made the decision that because everyonea leader, one assumes final responsibility for
benefited from the use of the kitchen, everyoneperformance and never uses followers as a
should take a turn cleaning and taking out thescapegoat for blame. In my practice, I found that
trash. I had 13 employees at the time, and mymy staff members recognized the shielding I did
office manager organized a schedule to rotate theon their behalf. They felt confident that I had their
responsibility for cleaning the kitchen among thoseback. You can't expect your staff to focus on
13 staff members. During staff meeting, I raisedmoving your practice forward if they must
my hand and suggested that because I was goingconstantly look over their shoulder. I'm not saying
to use the kitchen like everyone else, I shouldthat issues shouldn't be addressed if staff
take a turn cleaning the kitchen once every 14members make an error, or that staff shouldn't
weeks. It wasn't a big deal and it didn't take muchtake responsibility for the actions; but they need
time, but my pitching in was only fair - and ato know that you are there to stand up for them
great way to demonstrate my willingness to dowhen they have done their best and things just
anything the staff was asked to do.didn't work out the way everyone wanted.
4. Strive for excellence. No one respects or10. Be forthright in all things. Above all, your staff
follows mediocrity, at least not for very long.must know that you are consistently honest. This
Those who earn the privilege to lead havehonesty is perhaps best described as doing the
committed themselves totally to what they do.right thing in every situation, even if it is to your
Leaders lend not only their skills and talents, butdisadvantage. The leader does the right thing
also great passion and dedication, performing onwhen no one is looking and when no one would
the highest level of which they are capable.ever know.
Demonstrating a commitment to the sameYour verbal communication and body language
standards of excellence that I expected fromspeak volumes, not only to your patients but also
staff doesn't mean I did everything right the firstto your staff. Your staff should constantly put
time. I was always striving for excellence, but itthemselves in the patient's shoes to give the best
didn't always come from my first efforts. Manyservice. You lead by example. Do you
times, I had to do things several times to get thedemonstrate fairness? Employers who speak to
results I wanted, results that met my standardspatients respectfully until they leave but then
of excellence. The process of doing - and doingdisrespectfully after they're gone clearly
again until I had done my best - was a process Icommunicate that they might do the same thing
thought was useful for my staff to see. Theto staff members.
lesson I taught by sharing my shortfalls, mistakes,As the leader, you are an example for everyone
and the extra effort it took to finally get thingswho follows you. Make sure that your staff
right is excellence is not always the result of yourcatches you doing the right thing for both them
first effort, but rather the result of setting yourand your patients, in every situation. If you make
sights and dedicating yourself to reaching youra mistake, your staff knows it, so own up to it in
goal. There are many good lessons learned fromfront of them. If you mishandled a patient
making mistakes, so the only costly mistakes areencounter and need to apologize, or you
those where nothing is learned.reconsider your advice to a patient, let your staff
5. Rely on principles, not emotions. Leadership isknow about your feelings and your intentions to
often easy during the good times. It's easy torectify the situation. Nothing breeds honesty more
lead when there are no budget constraints,than the example you set for your staff. A
competitive threats, or organizational turmoil. Butfoundation of integrity for both patients and staff
when everything seems to be against you, you'reis the best foundation of all.
out of energy, and you don't want to lead, that's