Leadership and management are often intertwined within a dental or orthodontic practice, however they are actually very distinct.
What is Management?
Management is a set of processes that keep an organisation running. Managers make it work today – they make sure that the practice hits this quarter’s numbers. Management processes are about planning, budgeting, staffing, measuring performance and problem-solving.
What is Leadership?
Conversely, leadership is very different. Leadership is about aligning people to the vision, which means buy-in and communication, motivation and inspiration. An effective leader is someone who casts a great vision and knows how to get others excited about it!
Why Should Leadership and Management Coexist?
If a practice is to be run effectively, leadership and management will exist together. For example, when considering the management technique of target setting, this will only work when good leadership is present.
Target setting is a management technique used to focus attention on certain activities. A private practice, for example, might set targets around waiting times.
For this exercise to work, someone within the practice must show leadership by emphasising the importance of the activity. In this example, the wider vision is to help patients to lead better lives. A leader needs to inspire employees, by showing how meeting a target such as reduced waiting times, can contribute towards this wider aim.
Leadership is always about change; it’s not about mobilising people to do what they’ve always done well and to continue to do it well.
While management and leadership are distinct concepts, there is a natural overlap between the skills they involve. You’ve got to be able to listen, to engage, to emphasise. You need to maintain a patient focus and want to grow the people around you.
Leadership and Management Training
Mentoring and formal training can help employees make the most of opportunities to use leadership skills. It has been found that 90% of people who have completed a leadership and management course have experienced improved performance at work. There was also a ‘ripple effect’, with 81% of those surveyed passing on their knowledge to colleagues.
If you would like further information about leadership and management training, please get in touch.
