Practice Leaders Must Strive for Clarity, Consistency, Good Attitude Leadership Mistakes Doctors Make and How to Fix Them

As practice owners, making leadership mistakes is normal. Developing your leadership skills will reward you with financial gains and a windfall of joy and fulfilment. Mistake #1: If your management style is autocratic, a deep divide will be generated between you and the team. While you should not be friends with your team, you should be friendly, compassionate, and empathetic toward them. As the leader, you must display humility, clarity, and courage. Your goal is to cultivate a team of practice stakeholders, not minions. Mistake #2: A lack of clarity in communications is another common mistake. The people you hire are an extension of you, so you must (1) clearly communicate your vision and mission and (2) train employees as to exactly how that works. The mission statement tells your team what you value and the principles that guide your practice. Actively review the mission statement with your team every day. Mistake #3: Often, doctors hire people just to fill a position instead of hiring people to fulfill their vision. Look first at a candidate’s core values, especially integrity, accountability, contribution, and gratitude. Consider testing with the Wonderlic cognitive ability tests (assesses learning aptitude, problem-solving), the Personalysis Profile (assesses motivation, drive, intellect), and the 4 colors personality test (assesses situational responses). Mistake #4: Another common mistake is lack of consistency in your requests and orders, enforcement of policies, follow-through, and holding others accountable. Lack of consistency can erode teamwork. As the leader, you must consistently enforce and follow the rules. Mistake #5: Remember that "attitude is everything." Doctors often overlook the need to train the team on how to be! Attitude is a critical factor in creating a good practice. If the practice is not a happy place, patients will go elsewhere. Your patients want to feel special and appreciated, as do you and your team. As the leader, you must ensure the practice's emotional space. The 3 keys to creating and maintaining healthy relationships are (1) do no harm, (2) tell no lies, and (3) resolve tolerances. Mistake #6: Tolerating the intolerable in an employee is another common mistake. Many doctors express regret for keeping poor employees too long. Give people direction, coaching, and sufficient chances to succeed, but when all efforts fail, let them go! Mistake #7: Doctors often believe that paychecks and bonuses are sufficient for motivating team members and making them feel appreciated. However, bonuses can be detrimental. The author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us explains that people are motivated by autonomy, purpose, and mastery. Praise is one of the most effective tools for training, improving performance, and creating employee loyalty. What's more, someone who feels appreciated does more than expected. Hearing praise is one of the most uplifting things a team member can receive. Remember, your attitude of gratitude determines your altitude. (Reviewer-).