Being a leader in your chiropractic office is one of the most important tasks that you will have. However, to be a leader, you first need to know what that entails. What is leadership in your chiropractic office? It is the ability to influence your staff toward the achievement of the clinic goals. It is getting the staff to set aside their individual concerns to pursue a common goal that is good for the office and your patients. As a leader, you are looked on to influence or change the behaviors, thoughts or feelings of others around you.
Being the team leader not only means knowing your own strengths and your weaknesses (and yes we all have both) but it means that you recognize both the strengths and weaknesses of the people who work around you. You need to understand the difference between the individuals and how that affects the function of your practice. As the leader, one of your needs is to make sure that they are in harmony with the vision of the chiropractic office.
As the leader of your office, you need to have four components in your practice.
1. Choose your attitude: Today no one can choose how you are going to feel. Decide when you get up in the morning that no matter what is said or done to you today that you are not going to let it affect the outcome of your attitude. Your attitude will set the stage for your day good or bad!
2. Make their day: Decide when you get up out of bed in the morning that you are going to do something to make someone’s day. That starts right at home. What can you do to make the day of your spouse and children? When you get to the office what can you do to make the day of your staff members? Tell them you appreciate them and then follow through with that appreciation and show them you appreciate them. Be kind and considerate and speak to them respectfully. Then you have your patients make over them treat each one as if they were the only patient that liked you. Show them love and appreciation, show them that you care. Give them not quantity of time but quality of your time.
3. Be present: Whether it is your patient, staff, spouse or child, anyone, give them your undivided attention. Do not be working on other projects, reading emails or surfing on the web. Listen to others and give the people around you the value of your time.
4. Play: Have fun; energize the office and your staff. Make sure you hear laughter in your office. When running our offices we have so many set procedures and protocols that must be followed but sometimes we let those requirements override what we are here for. That is to make a difference in our patient’s lives. Having fun is a sure way to get people to want to come in your office for every appointment.
Step out today and be the leader that you are. When you lead like this you cannot help but to get the team around you to want to follow. Who doesn’t want to be around someone with a great attitude, who always listens, shows appreciation to the people around them and last but not least has fun doing it.…..?
