Dental Leadership: Why Leading by Example Is the Foundation of a Strong Team
- Russ Ledbetter
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
You might think management is just about telling people what to do and how to do it.
Great management is more than that.
The best managers are also good leaders. Leadership is about showing your team how to perform—through your own actions, standards, and consistency.
If your team is not performing the way you want, the first place to look is not at them.
Look at yourself.
The First Pillar: Being the Example
“Do as I say, not as I do” is one of the fastest ways to lose respect in a dental office.
If you want your team to:
Work hard
Stay focused
Take ownership
Go the extra mile
Then they need to see you doing those things.
You must show your team that you’re in it alongside them—that you’re willing to do what you’re asking them to do.
Words without action don’t carry much weight. Your team won’t consistently give maximum effort unless they see it from you first.
Teams are quick to notice when expectations and actions don’t line up.
What Leadership Looks Like in a Dental Practice
Leading by example shows up in simple, everyday moments:
Staying a few extra minutes to help the staff finish the day together
Jumping in when the office gets behind
Supporting the team instead of stepping away when things get busy
If you want to be a team—you have to act like one.
I’ve seen offices where leadership says the right things—but the effort doesn’t match—and the team follows that lead.
And I’ve seen the opposite.
When leadership shows up, works alongside the team, and sets the pace, the entire office responds at a higher level.
Why Effort from Leadership Changes Everything
For a moment think of your office as a football team.
A quarterback might give a great speech—but he still has to deliver. Otherwise, his teammates won’t take him seriously.
When a team leader puts themselves on the line—fighting for extra yards, doing the hard work—the team will rally around that effort.
The same effect happens in dental practices.
When your team sees your level of commitment, they will rise to match it.
Holding Yourself to the Same Standard
I’ve seen situations where leadership holds themselves to a different standard than the rest of the team—and it always creates tension, resentment, and lower performance.
I’ve also seen the opposite.
When leadership holds themselves to the same—or even higher—standards and is willing to step in and help, it builds respect, trust, and a stronger team.
And the team responds by stepping up.
The Second Pillar: Recognition and Appreciation
Once leadership by example is established, the next critical piece is:
—— How do you respond to your team’s performance? ——
It is common for dental teams to operate in this environment:
Good work is expected and ignored
Mistakes are pointed out immediately
Over time, that creates frustration, disengagement, and low morale.
The 80/20 Rule of Effective Leadership
Most of your team members are likely performing at a solid level.
Think of your average employee as an 8 out of 10.
Your communication should reflect it:
80% recognition and appreciation
20% coaching and correction
If someone is performing at a lower level—say a 4 out of 10—the balance should shift accordingly:
40% recognition
60% coaching
The key is that your feedback matches their actual performance—both the good and the bad.
Why Dentists Struggle with Recognition for Great Work
Dentists are trained to:
Identify problems
Focus on what’s wrong
Prioritize and fix issues as they appear
That skill is essential in clinical care.
But applied to people, it does not translate into effective management.
If your team only hears what they’re doing wrong, eventually they will stop listening. ⬇️⬇️
Why Appreciation Drives Better Performance
When recognition is done correctly:
Team members feel valued
They repeat the behaviors that earned recognition
It's natural for people to work for approval from leadership.
And when you maintain that balance, something important happens:
—— Your team will be more open to correction when it's needed. ——
How to Give Effective Recognition (There is a Method to It)
Not all praise is effective.
❌ Ineffective Praise → “Hey, great job today.”
This is vague and forgettable.
✅ Effective Praise → “Sarah, when you took that upset patient to the side and calmed him down, I really appreciated that. That made a real difference today.”
This works because it is:
Specific
Timely
Meaningful
You Can Also Recognize Progress
Even if performance isn’t perfect:
“That temporary crown was much better than your last one. I love seeing that improvement.”
This builds confidence and encourages continued growth.
You Can Start Small
You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight.
Start with one simple habit:
Acknowledge one team member today
Tomorrow, acknowledge two
Then three
Over time, it becomes second nature.
You Might Be Thinking This...
I've had clients say:
“Russ, if I acknowledge and appreciate my staff, they will all come and ask for raises!”
Actually:
Employees who feel appreciated are more satisfied and less likely to push for more money
Employees who feel undervalued are more likely to:
Ask for raises
Burn out
Leave
Compensation matters—but when people feel unappreciated, it becomes a much bigger issue.
What Employees Actually Value (vs What Employers Might Think)
There is often a disconnect.
Employers assume employees care most about:
Compensation
Benefits
Time off
Those are important. But in practice, employees often place a very high value on:
Being appreciated for their work
Having a voice and feeling heard
Feeling like they are contributing to something meaningful
When those needs are not met, dissatisfaction grows—regardless of pay.
How to Build This into Your Daily Routine
You don’t need more time. You need a shift in focus.
Start looking for opportunities to recognize your team.
Those opportunities are everywhere.
What you focus on expands.
If you look for mistakes, you’ll find them. If you look for effort, you’ll find that too.
One More Key Detail
Recognition is most powerful when:
It happens in front of others
It’s heard by patients or team members
Public acknowledgment reinforces behavior far more than private comments.
Final Thought
Great leadership is not complicated—but it is intentional.
It starts with:
Leading by example
Reinforcing what’s working
When you do those two things consistently, everything else becomes easier:
Motivation improves
Accountability improves
Team performance improves
Dental Practice Performance Improves with Great Leadership and the Right Systems
If you’re seeing inconsistency in your team, production, or day-to-day operations, it’s usually not random. It’s a systems issue.
At The Ledbetter Group, we work inside dental practices to improve performance, strengthen teams, and increase production—without raising fees or changing your clinical philosophy.
Need help making these improvements?
Schedule a time to talk.
Related articles:
Dental Leadership Part 1 of 3: Why Leading by Example Drives Team Performance (This Article)
Dental Leadership Part 2 of 3: How to Motivate Staff Without Micromanaging (Coming Soon)
Dental Leadership Part 3 of 3: How to Resolve Staff Conflict Quickly and Effectively (Coming Soon)
About the Author
Russ Ledbetter is a dental practice consultant with The Ledbetter Group. Since 1989, he has worked directly inside dental offices to improve production, strengthen systems, and develop high-performing teams—without raising fees or changing clinical philosophy. Learn more about Russ and our Dental Consulting Services.
