What kind of leader are you? Self-motivated? Growth-orientated? Highly successful? Overwhelmed? As Roger P. Levin, DDS, of the orthodontic practice consulting firm Levin Group, puts it, most orthodontists and office managers identify as the latter: overwhelmed.

In this episode, Levin joins host Alison Werner to talk about leadership in the orthodontic practice and how overwhelmed orthodontists and office managers can move from that frustrating stage to that of the highly-successful leader—where the practice is fun, the days are easier, and the practice is at its most lucrative and employees are most satisfied.

As Levin puts it, an orthodontist’s #1 job after clinical orthodontics is being a great leader.” If you do that, he adds, “everything else will fall into place.” So how do you become a great leader and create an environment where everyone wants to work? Levin breaks it down in this episode:

• Levin explains his Four Levels of Leadership—the self-motivated leader, the growth-orientated leader, the overwhelmed leader, and highly-successful leader—and helps orthodontists and their staff identify which type of leader they are. He also explains how you can transition through each of those levels to get to the highly successful leader stage.
• A key aspect of growing as a leader is delegation, and by extension trust. Levin explains why you need to trust your staff and stop micromanaging. But that doesn’t mean you are turning a blind eye. Instead, de explains why you need to shift from managing your staff to measuring results. And if staff miss a measurement, it doesn’t mean they violated your trust. “It means they need mentoring and training—which is what great leaders are happy to do,” says Levin.
• To move through the Four Levels of Leadership, Levin shares his 10 Principles of Leadership and explains how to implement each one. OP