One of the five key questions that the CQC is likely to be asking in the not too distant future did rather stop me in my tracks when I first read it. ‘Is the service well-led?’ will be a question that the CQC inspectors will seek to answer when examining a dental practice for compliance. Note that they are not asking if it is well-managed. No – the emphasis is fairly and squarely on leadership but with very little information at the moment as to how that will be judged or measured.
For the CQC has quite a task ahead of it in seeking to answer that question. Leadership thinking has evolved hugely over the last half decade and continues to evolve. The NHS’s own Leadership Academy has sought to put into place a definition of what good leadership looks like in healthcare (and it seems to apply to all levels of staff whether in a management capacity or not). If only things were that simple. If only leadership could be distilled down into a series of step by step actions or 10 point plan. It is not that simple because of one basic truth and that is that leadership involves behaviour rather than action. It’s not just what you do but the way that you do it.
The international leadership authority and author Ken Blanchard tells us: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” Leadership in other words is all about behaviour. It is very tempting to look at various leadership models and styles and see how you fit into these but this is rather missing the point. For most of us to be better leaders we need to examine our own behaviour and see what we may need to change. However we do also need to look at what we do as well as the way that we do it in order to be considered an effective leader and the truth is that in most dental practices the owner needs to be both a manager and a leader. This can feel quite
schizophrenic at times if you buy that idea that managers look at the bottom line whilst leaders look to the horizon. Yet look to the horizon we must. A good leader takes the practice team on a journey and they need him or her to look ahead at the destination.
Over the years I have met many practice owners and amongst them I have met a few excellent leaders. There are a number of things which characterise them which I offer you here.
First, they have a clear picture of where they are taking their practice and are good at communicating this on a regular basis to their team. They are also uncompromising on their goals and the level of quality they expect. They get the right people around them. They challenge behaviour in their team which is inconsistent with their goals and do not shy away from difficult conversations with staff and colleagues.
They are single-minded but not narrow-minded. They are not threatened by new ideas but open to them. They do not need to claim responsibility for all of the creative thinking that goes on in the practice. They think it’s fine to give credit for a good idea to someone else – after all they know they will also have another good idea themselves at some point. They are assertive but not aggressive. They make it clear what they expect their team members to achieve rather than just go in and do every day. They care about their staff’s progress and appreciate their contributions. They treat people as a team but also know their staff as individuals without playing divide and rule. Their staff know where they stand with them and they don’t say one thing and do something else.
They are not shy about exhibiting the characteristics that they want in their team and walk the talk is their unspoken motto.
They are seen to be motivated and passionate about what they do even when I suspect they feel that their motivation and passion levels are flagging a little. But they understand that they are the public face of their practice and make their staff feel that they can do that little extra which will make the difference to everyone and make a good practice a great one. Above all perhaps, they help their team understand why they are doing what they are doing and provide purpose and meaning to the everyday round.
The people I am talking about are not extraordinary human beings. They are dentists like you and me but have learned the power of behaviour, communication and influence.
Does all of this really matter? Is it that important to look at these characteristics and reflect on how well we match up – or don’t? If your aspirations for your practice are not that high then until recently I would have said perhaps not. But in the brave new world of healthcare, patients want to know that the person in charge of their service, whether a hospital or dental practice, has got the influence and clout to make sure that the right things are happening for them, the patient. That’s the agenda and that is why, so far as the CQC is concerned, a well-run service is not just about management any more. It’s all about leadership. It’s all about you.