A New Year's Mindset Refresher

As the year winds down and we look ahead to where we want to be going in 2015, it's a good time to look inward and re-connect with our most important governing principles. That's why I decided to spend the five remaining articles I post here this year discussing what I believe are five main components of a successful mindset. Obviously your particular circumstances and vision and plan for the coming months are going to be unique; what I am going to be offering here are some universal principles to keep in mind when thinking about that plan. First up:

Your Mindset: It All Comes Down to Actions

I'll start with a story. It's a story about a young girl, a piano student whose father takes her to a recital featuring three of the top pianists in the world. The first pianist comes out and gives a great performance. The little girl was very impressed, and she was also impressed by the enthusiastic applause that burst forth when the pianist had played his final note.

The next performer came up, and her playing was incredible too. This time, at the end, the ovation was even longer and louder, and the little girl looked around at all the people who had begun to stand and she joined them, standing and clapping for what felt like several minutes.

Then the final pianist took the stage. He gave a performance that had everyone, including the girl, utterly transfixed. It was like nothing she had heard before, with passages that soared and made her heart beat faster, and other parts that were so beautiful they brought tears to her eyes. But this time, when the performance ended, there was a long silence.

The little girl was confused for a moment and asked her dad what had just happened. Didn't the people enjoy this incredible display of mastery as much as they had the first two? Her father just motioned toward the side of the stage, where the performers were heading off toward an area where the audience was invited to meet with them one on one. "Look," he said. Everyone was following the last performer.

We're all familiar with the old saying, actions speak louder than words —or in the case of that story, louder than applause. This is especially true when it comes to questions of leadership. Leaders, by definition, inspire people to do things, and to do the right things.

Of course it's wonderful when patients say great things about you, and thank you with genuine warmth. Making that kind of personal connection is a vital part of being successful in dentistry and it's one of the great bonuses of doing what you do. But in the end, it will always come down to your mindset and how you influence their actions. Are they accepting your recommendations? Are they paying at every visit? Are they appointing ahead—and keeping those appointments consistently? Are they inviting others? In other words, never mind the applause—are they following you?

Train yourself to graciously accept the kind words of praise, but to always be keenly focused on the results of your leadership efforts, as demonstrated by the behaviors of those you hope to influence. This applies just as much to your team and your family as it does to the relationships with your patients. As you evaluate your current reality your mindset for 2015, and as you look for new areas of improvement, keep this truth in mind: "Actions always tell the real story."


If you find topics like this helpful, check out Imtiaz Manji's practice management courses available to you through our Course Library. Not yet a member of Digital Suite? Click here to learn more.