From Orthodontist to CEO: 5 Leadership Skills for a Thriving Practice

…and how to turn leadership into 90-day outcomes.

At a glance: Top orthodontic owners scale smoothly by mastering

(1) Vision & Priorities,

(2) Clear Communication,

(3) Team Building & Delegation,

(4) Financial Acumen, and

(5) Decisive Adaptability.

Below you’ll find practical moves—and how an application-only, peer-powered format like Ortho Vanguard accelerates each step.

1) Vision & Priorities (make the future obvious)

What to do:

• Write a one-page vision (12–24 months). Patient experience, team, growth—paint it clearly.

• Choose 3 priorities per quarter. If everything matters, nothing moves.

• Make it visible. Post it and review progress weekly.

How Ortho Vanguard helps (for example):

• Quarterly clarity lab. Craft your 3 priorities with feedback from seasoned owners.

• 90-day plan. Leave with outcomes, owners, and weekly checkpoints—beyond inspiration.

2) Clear Communication (alignment beats heroics)

What to do:

• Set a simple rhythm. 10-minute daily huddle, weekly scorecard, monthly 1:1s.

• Decide once, communicate twice. Say it live; follow with a short written recap.

• Script the critical few. New-patient handoff, difficult conversations, service recovery.

How Ortho Vanguard helps (for example):

• Playbook swap. Borrow proven huddle agendas, 1:1 outlines, and recovery scripts.

• Live practice. Role-play tough talks; refine wording until it lands.

3) Team Building & Delegation (leaders create leaders)

What to do:

• Hire for values; train for skill. Define 3–5 non-negotiables and interview against them.

• 90-day ramps + scorecards. Week-by-week onboarding with clear outcomes.

• Delegate with guardrails. Decision rights, budgets, SLAs—freedom through clarity.

How Ortho Vanguard helps (for example):

• Scorecard studio. Leave with one-page role scorecards and a 30/60/90 ramp.

• Decision-rights template. A simple matrix that moves approvals off your plate.

4) Financial Acumen (know the levers)

What to do:

• Track the vital five: starts, show rate, case acceptance, staff cost %, cash/AR days.

• Review weekly, act fast. See trend → test a fix → measure in two weeks.

• Tie spend to outcomes. Every dollar has a job (e.g., +10% starts, −15% chair time).

How Ortho Vanguard helps (for example):

• Signals > noise. Compare your numbers to table-mates’ benchmarks to define “good.”

• Pilot canvas. Design 8–12 week profit pilots (with go/kill) before investing big.

5) Decisive Adaptability (move with confidence)

What to do:

• Run the explore → exploit loop. Pilot small, scale what works, sunset what doesn’t.

• Pre-mortem big moves. “If this fails, why?” Surface risks early; add mitigations.

• Protect thinking time. One hour/week for strategy—no patients, no Slack.

How Ortho Vanguard helps (for example):

• Peer pre-mortems. Pressure-test expansions, tech, and hires with owners who’ve been there.

• Alumni accountability. Post-event check-ins keep your 90-day commitments real.

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A quick story (composite, but common)

Dr. B had great clinical outcomes but a bottlenecked schedule and rising staff cost %. She wrote a one-page vision, picked three quarterly priorities, and stood up a weekly scorecard (vital five). She gave her OM a decision-rights matrix and ran a 12-week profit pilot (TC time −15%). Ninety days later: +9% starts, staff cost % stabilized, and a calmer team. The shift wasn’t more hours—it was clear priorities, cleaner handoffs, and a little accountability.

Start this week (five tiny moves)

1. Draft your one-page vision and share it in your next huddle.

2. Pick three quarterly priorities and make them measurable.

3. Create a weekly scorecard (vital five) and review every Monday in 15 minutes.

4. Write one delegation using decision rights + budget + SLA.

5. Block one strategy hour (recurring) on your calendar.

You don’t need more time—you need a tighter loop and a better room.

A classy next step

If a curated, peer-powered room would help you turn this into a crisp 90-day plan, explore Ortho Vanguard—Orthopreneurs’ application-only mastermind-style summit for growth-minded orthodontists. It’s intimate by design; fewer than 40 seats remain. Apply now only if outcomes (not lectures) are what you’re after. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VISIT OP VANGUARD

https://www.opvanguard.com