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Leadership—It’s ALWAYS Your Core Values

One of my clients called me with a conundrum regarding a patient.  He had done a 3 unit bridge just over 2 years ago and the patient presented with the complaint that the bridge “felt” a “little” loose.  Upon examination my client discovered that the root had fractured on one of the abutments and the bridge needed to be replaced.  He was uncertain on how he wanted to handle this situation.  Two of his staff urged him to instruct the patient the bridge needed to be replaced and to charge the customary fee as they had their daily goals to meet.  He felt uncomfortable as he noticed that the occlusion was not perfect and may have been a contributing factor to this root fracture.  This was a wonderful patient that he did not want to alienate and yet there was no way he could be held responsible for “natures” challenges.  When he called me (while the patient was still in the chair) and explained the circumstances I asked him one simple question:  Dr. Leader, what do your Core Values compel you to do?  He read two of them to me:  #1 “Honesty & Integrity in all that we do”; and #2 “Provide a WOW experience for patients and turn them into missionaries for our practice”.  With that, he paused and told me he knew exactly what he needed to say and do with his patient.

His decision was made clear because of HIS Core Values.  You may want to learn more about what having written Core Values can do for you and your business…and life choices by reading a kool book called: You Can’t Send a Duck to Eagle School by Mac Anderson.  Click on the title to go to my bookshelf if you want to order your own copy.  In the book you will read about the comment made by Sheldon Bowles:

• Goals are for the future; VALUES are for now.
• Goals are set; VALUES are lived.
• Goals change; VALUES are rocks that you can count on.

Oh, what did my client ultimately do?  He told his patient that he appreciates him greatly; was unsure of why the bridge failed and that occlusion may ahve been the cause; however, because he expects his dentistry to last longer than two years, he was remaking the bridge……………at no additional cost to the patient!

My client, Dr. Leader went to bed with a clear head and heart as he made his decision on the VALUES he lives daily.  He also “lived” his core values in the presence of his team.  This is yet another example of the quality individuals I get to coach.

Dr. Ron is the only Master Certified Dental Coach (MCC) on the planet. He has blended 20 years of clinical dental practice with executive roles in financial planning and investment management along his graduate business training to provide his clients with the tools, support, and accountability to accomplish more. About Dr. Ron, "I count you as one of life’s best finds", says Dr. Gary Imm of Reisterstown, Maryland. He has authored many articles; manuals; ThinBooks ^tm; TeleClasses and if you visit http://www.drarndt.com you can receive one of his FREE reports, "9 Painful Mistakes Dentists Make in the Hiring Process"

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One Response to “Leadership—It’s ALWAYS Your Core Values”

1. Fred Hecht Says:
   March 12th, 2008 at 1:51 pm

   Excellant sharing of a clinical situation. I use to think that this core/value was alot of bull manure, but it is not. Many times i have read and reread my core values and the answer is right there in front of your eyes. Fred S. Hecht

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