The dental profession has a long tradition of discipline, motivation and personal sacrifice. When it comes to the pursuit of clinical excellence and public concern, no one would ever consider questioning the commitment of the vast majority of dentists. The same holds true for the business of dentistry as a whole. Most practices have focused their efforts and entrepreneurial energy on doing the right thing.
As the continual commitment to clinical excellence and the blossoming of business entrepreneurship continue to meld, a question now arises: Are the current drivers of ethics and values clear and still on course for the profession, industry and individual?
Reappraising the path that our profession and industry are now following doesn’t have to include condemnations of those who’ve been at the forefront of the current direction. Nor does any one organization or individual have all the answers. Careful evaluation and considered criticism of the direction itself, however, can be constructive. It can lead all of us to make whatever course corrections we see are needed—and we can do so before any possible missteps might be taken that would impact dentistry for many years to come.
Many general practitioners maintain that treating children has the potential to substantially increase the profitability of one’s business. The main reason, they say, is that it can significantly expand a dentist’s patient-base – not only through the addition of those children as patients but also their family members as well.
Leadership: Setting the Standards
Many dental professionals contemplate the real meaning of the hustle and bustle they experience in their careers. They realize there must be more to life, but they don’t know what that missing “something” is. What will fill that void? It’s hard to know for sure, but they are certain about this:
- They want to connect with others who share the same values and interests as they do.
- They desire to be around those who demonstrate the expertise and eagerness to learn new skills and gain new knowledge that will bring them to higher levels of proficiency.
- They want to feel such a sense of mastery in their work and business that they can say, “I now possess it confidently and feel competent.”
- They want to share this newly gained knowledge and experience to perpetuate the cycle of abundance with and for others.
- They are looking to make a new “home,” an industry where the leadership walks the talk and provides inspiration by demonstrating positive attributes, free of petty politics.
If these are the goals, we need to ask ourselves a number of questions. Let’s start with whether leaders and those who aspire to leadership ought to maintain the highest standard of values and ethics. And what is the responsibility for everyone else? Shouldn’t everyone in the industry insist on fair treatment, respect, and honorable, honest dealings?
It’s a given that no one should be used as a stepping stone for someone else’s self-serving, personal gain. Yet our industry hasn’t been exempt from this problem. Many people have been caught by this with the lure of being part of something bigger. From now on, though, can’t we avoid this trap, both by encouraging leaders to sidestep it and by reminding ourselves not to fall for it?
It’s also reasonable to expect that no one should be reviled simply for having a dissenting opinion. Throughout history, fanatic followers have subverted their passion for gaining truth and knowledge by attacking people with differing points of view. Santayana’s definition of fanatic —“redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim”—could apply to some of our contemporaries. Can we rise above this? What might be the benefits of abandoning polarizing points of view and opening the lines of communication? What could happen if we supported each other and continually reminded ourselves of the bigger picture, which is the pursuit of knowledge, and the real prize: long-term healthy relationships?
We are fortunate to live in a society where we can be heard. We can “vote with our feet” by refraining from support of programs and venues that do not reflect a standard of honesty and values that are congruent with a spirit and best interest of the entire profession and industry. As members of the dental community, isn’t it our responsibility to hold all organizations, teaching institutions, their faculty, and their alumni to the highest standards?
Many organizations have allocated valuable resources to bring many outstanding programs to the marketplace, and without them, we would not have had access to the information that’s brought us to this point. We owe a debt of gratitude to many of these individuals who have sacrificed their personal and family time to present state-of-the-art education, for sharing their insights, for taking the time to develop new skills and concepts as well as communicate the ideas that have impacted our lives.
Likewise, those who have been students and participants in these programs have made sacrifices of their own: personal time, family time, and efforts and energy studying. They’ve parted with their hard-earned dollars to pay tuition for this opportunity.
Everyone who participated by either teaching or learning has contributed to creating the current climate and culture of dentistry. It has been a fair exchange, and we’re all the better for it. So the question before us today is: How will we use where we are now as a springboard for the future?
A New Era
The sun is rising on a new time for dentistry. There’s a unique opportunity for established leaders to recommit to the traditional values and the upright virtues of the profession and industry. There’s also the opportunity for new leadership to emerge.
Who might be the leaders of this new era? What if they could …
- Act as the catalyst to strengthen others, to empower them with similar passion and enthusiasm for their life’s journey?
- Show by example what it means to become a servant leader?
- Emit a buzz of enthusiasm and inspiration among colleagues, friends and co-workers, who would then also share this newfound enthusiasm of direction and mission?
As full participants in the profession, we could not only enjoy the emergence of such leaders, but we could also expect our leaders to communicate a renewed vision to the entire industry, not just in word, but with their actions, too. Would anything less really count as leadership? We need to ask ourselves, What are the acceptable standards for leadership? What role must ethics and integrity play? To what degree will we allow commercialism, self-interest, or a lack of substance?
One thing’s clear: New leadership should make it safe for all voices to be heard. A wealth of goodness is encoded in our professional DNA, and it is transferred from one generation to another in dentistry, just as it is in families. New leaders can indeed perpetuate positive virtues and values. They can purposely create an environment for critical thinking and opportunities for others to safely challenge “what is” with “what might be.” These new leaders can understand that for the profession and industry to continue to move forward, there must always be room for differing perspectives.
Time to Celebrate the Future
Positive changes are afoot. Many in our profession feel empowered to confront confidently the challenges they face and to reorder their steps as they move into a new time for the entire industry. They follow something new: not a trend, but an inner voice that lets them know what’s best for them personally and professionally.
Perhaps they realize that this inner consciousness, if neglected, is what leads to those weighty feelings of burden, distress, unfulfillment, discouragement, anxiety, worry, fear, strife, anger, jealousy, doubt, self-pity, and resentment—all of which affect thoughts, judgment, words, and actions.
What happens when people follow that inner voice? Might it lead to a new perspective, one that allows them to rise to their greatest potential, operating from the position of abundance? Such a perspective most likely includes the values of generosity, friendship, love, compassion, humility, excellence, honesty, passion, discipline, mental toughness, and more. From these values, many other positive character attributes could spring, among them creativity, enthusiasm, kindness, respect, reverence, dedication, integrity, wisdom, sensitivity, fearlessness, peace, calm and discernment.
With these characteristics, what sort of atmosphere would you expect to result? Most likely, we’d all enjoy greater levels of success economically, socially, professionally and even spiritually.
Clearly, these values transcend being just a dentist, a dental assistant, a technician or a salesperson.
Indeed, what might happen if our new leaders operated from this position of abundance and confidence? Might they repair broken professional relationships for the betterment of the whole? Could their commitment to a pioneering spirit of advancement extend the boundaries and regain territory that was once lost to petty turf wars? Picture our profession and industry as a single community that resonates together in health and vibrancy, abundance and confidence, unity and respect. In the bright light of this kind of community, even a shadow of negativity would be dissipated.
Perhaps this is how the journey is meant to be. Perhaps it’s within reach right now. To find out, it’s time to honor and appreciate the past, let it go, and then start celebrating the future. Each of us must step up and behave as leaders to be a part of this new era. |
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