Doctors, we go to school to learn medicine and how to cure our patient’s ills. However, no one really taught us how to run a practice or even handle staff. Most of the time, we are delegate to learning these skills on the fly. I am here to tell you that all of your office issues can be handled with one thing. That one thing is:
LEADERSHIP
Yes, everything can be handled with learning to be a great leader. In John Maxwell’s book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, his first law is the law of the lid. The law of the lid states the success of the organization is directly related to the effectiveness of the leader. The better the leader, the more successful the organization.
Now, some people have natural leadership skills, but most people are not born leaders. Leadership is a learned skill. There are many books written on the subject. The key is that leadership is a learned process. It is not something that happens in a day.
A true leader develops others to reach their maximum potential. Leaders develop other leaders within their organization. If your staff is constantly asking you what to do or they are coming to you to solve problems, then this is because you haven’t empowered them to make decisions. You didn’t teach them how to make decisions based on the vision and mission of the organization. You might be a micromanager and constantly correcting your staff instead of building them up. You might even have the philosophy of, “if you want to do something right, do it yourself.”
Your leadership begins with a positive attitude. You do not freak out every time there is an issue. You stay calm and you use your team to solve problems. Most importantly, the office is running smoothly and all potential problems are prevented with proper systems, protocols, and staff training. Staff training includes staff coming up with new ideas on how to improve and implement current systems.
Things you can do to raise your lid:
1. Value experience with reflection
2. Invest in training
3. Mentorship/Coaching
4. Mastermind/Focus
5. Do something beyond yourself
6. Reflect on who has been a lid lifter in your life. What characteristics make them a lid lifter?
7. Make a “stop doing” list
By improving on your leadership skills daily, you will have less stress and increase revenue. All it takes is doing a little something every day.