Leadership has never been more important in dentistry, to support teams through change, while maintaining excellent care for patients. Leadership can take many forms, and particular skills may be more valuable in different settings, making good leadership traits difficult to generalise. However, studies show how vital appropriate leadership is for developing productive and happy teams.
Dental practice principals, and other on-the-ground leaders in dentistry are facing enormous challenges in the UK today. Post-covid, leaders have had to navigate the cost-of-living crisis and associated wage increases. They must attract new staff within a recruitment crisis, as well as retain existing staff, which entails managing another crisis in team mental health, all while maintaining their own mental resilience. They have to maintain compliance with changing regulations, as well as make difficult decisions about maximising their viability as a practice while also meeting the needs of patients. On top of all this, many practice owners have recently felt forced into difficult decisions around reducing or completely abandoning their NHS contract in favour of a fully private practice.
Leading teams through the upheaval of this magnitude is no small feat. Good leadership is vital in difficult times, but as many as 82 per cent of people with management responsibilities feel ill-equipped to deal with problems. To prepare current and future leaders in dentistry requires the development of knowledge and skills around managing teams through change. It also requires awareness of trends in the industry, business acumen, familiarity with medico-legal requirements, and resilience in the face of stressors, challenges and the threat of more change.
What is leadership?
Leadership is about inspiring, empowering and enabling teams to rally around a common purpose. Studies show that a collaborative workplace structure, in which leaders communicate a clear core purpose, culture and ethos, is more productive and retains and attracts staff. Rather than being in thrall to the dictates of an individual in charge, all team members are stakeholders and, therefore, advocates.
Hierarchical structures which emulate military structures may seem old-fashioned, but they are still favoured in many environments. In an extreme version of this model, a strong, infallible, unquestioned individual wields executive decision-making power. Not only does this model put a large amount of responsibility on the leader – who, being human, will indeed be fallible – it fails to make use of the imagination, talents and skills of the whole team in managing challenging scenarios. It tends to breed resentment, leading to a less agreeable culture and problems retaining staff.
Good leadership is not straightforward to define. Different personalities can use different skills to be great leaders. The current consensus is that leadership is a skill that can be learned and is about authenticity and integrity rather than a set of formally defined traits. Successful leaders can use their own authentic selves to communicate their vision, align and empower team members, and then nurture trust as change occurs.
A collaborative approach to change
Making decisions that could potentially affect the lives of teams and patients can feel incredibly stressful – especially when the external factors leading to the need for change are not within your control. Planning for change is essential for maintaining organisational resilience, and which, according to ACAS, should be a consultative process with all team members potentially affected.
Not only does a collaborative approach to change ensure you are operating within the law, how well an organisation plans and adjusts in response to external factors translates directly into the wellbeing of team members.
Future leaders
The ability to develop and implement ideas that result in a more positive environment for the dental team will continue to be as important as ever. Analysis shows, however, that dentistry is lagging behind other professions in providing adequate formal leadership training. Education, mentoring and support for future leaders in dentistry is vital to ensure the profession remains fit for purpose.
BDIA Dental Showcase is an annual event that attracts many thousands of dental professionals every year, representing all areas of influence and expertise in dentistry today. Through top-quality exhibits, practical workshops, round-tables, and lectures, the most influential figures in the industry provide valuable information and advice. In 2024, more than 120 expert speakers offered 67 hours of CPD, sharing best-practice to equip all clinicians as confident members of the dental team and as leaders.
Dentistry is a generous and highly skilled profession. Mentoring is a fact of life, alongside skills-sharing networks and a commitment to lifelong learning. As we move into a new era, potentially facing new challenges or changes, these networks will continue to support, inspire and inform. When professionals come together, there is always reason to be hopeful as the next generation of leaders emerges.