S5 Episode 1: Welcome to leadership

Welcome to the fifth season of Inside Dentistry Support, where our focus is on authentic leadership, the kind that's evident in our daily actions and interactions. This episode lays the groundwork for what leadership means at Dentistry Support. We learn that real leaders support their teams with understanding, kindness, and a commitment to personal and collective growth. Leadership isn't about titles but about being reliable, taking initiative, and fostering a safe space for growth. This season will explore communication strategies, feedback culture, building trust, and more, aiming to inspire every team member to lead with consistency and purpose.

Transcript

   📍 Hey, team, and welcome to season five of Inside Dentistry Support, our internal podcast that helps you grow, learn, and lead well. This season is all about leadership, but not the kind that's about titles or checklists. It's about real leadership, the kind that shows up in how we speak to each other, how we serve our clients, and how we show up every single day, not just when it's easy.

But especially when it's hard if you're listening to this, you are either a current leader or a soon to be leader or someone who just wants to grow. And I'm really glad you're here because this episode is the foundation for everything that we're gonna talk about in season five. So, let's get into it. At Dentistry Support leadership is about being the support behind the support.

It's about showing up for your team, and not just with answers, but with understanding. We don't lead by shouting orders. We lead by listening, coaching, correcting with kindness, and helping others rise. And that's what leadership looks like here. And it's important to know this. Every person on our team is a leader in some way.

So, whether you are leading a department, managing a client account, or simply helping a new teammate get settled, your presence really does matter. When I started this company in 2014, I didn't set out to just build a business. I wanted to build something that made the dental industry better, a place where people felt seen and valued and supported.

I have always been a hard worker most of the time, working two, three jobs, sometimes four, exhausted, pushing through challenge after challenge. The foundation of me growing in dentistry from 17 years old when I first started in the industry, to then almost 25 years later, owning dentistry support and what it is today.

That foundation is what shaped this leadership style. It wasn't about ever being perfect, but more about being persistent, being people first, being led by a purpose. Leadership here is based on three core ideas.  One, clarity over confusion. Say what you mean. Follow through and be direct but always be kind.

Support is not optional. We don't leave people behind. We walk with them until they're ready. We help them finish the task. And number three, growth is expected from the front desk to executive level, right from the virtual front desk. To the virtual executive level, nobody stays the same. We all level up and that means you.

That means wherever you started, you got to right here listening to this very episode, we talk often about the phrase that we are the team behind the team. That goes for our leaders too. We're not here to shine by ourselves. We're here to help others shine. In this company, leadership isn't earned by time served.

It's earned by consistency. It's earned by effort, mindset, and the way you support your team and our clients. So, in leadership, we are always looking for people who take initiative and don't wait to be told what needs to be doing.  People who care deeply about both the results and the relationships.

People who correct with clarity, not criticism. People who know how to have hard conversations without harming others. We create safe spaces where people can make mistakes, learn and improve. We believe in accountability, but we don't believe in shame. That's the culture we're creating when we leadership is based on influence, not intimidation.

This season will walk you through everything from communication strategies to feedback culture, to the way we build trust as leaders inside and outside of our departments. You'll hear about real leadership examples, how we mentor here, and what it looks like to be a leader at dentistry support, even when no one's watching.

So, if you have ever wondered what it takes to be a leader here, or what leadership actually looks like in action, this season is just for you.  And remember, leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about being the most consistent one, the one others can count on.

 📍 Let's get started.