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Do you want to become a great leader? What’s the difference for a leader in a solo or group practice? What are the absolute essentials for becoming an unforgettably (good) leader?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about how to be a better leader with Dr. Benjamin Ritter.
Podcast Sponsor: Level Up Week
Our previous Level Up Week was a grand success, and we’re so excited to bring it back! We have over 20 webinars, all designed to help you Level Up your private practice, no matter what stage you’re at. Plus, it’s all entirely FREE.
So why Level Up Week? Because we provide you with practical, actionable strategies from top leaders in the field. You’ll gain tools to elevate your practice, expand your knowledge, and engage with a community of like-minded professionals.
Let me break down why this event is tailor-made for you: If you’re a new therapist looking to start or grow a solo practice, we’ve got insights tailored just for you, like the ‘Solo Practice Panel and Q&A.’
Or maybe you’re a seasoned professional wanting to grow, then you’ll want to learn from experts in the field on topics like ‘Growing a Group Practice’ and ‘Keys to Successfully Accepting Insurance in Your Practice.’
And if you’re looking to harness technology for your practice’s advantage? Don’t miss ‘5 IT Things You Have to Master.’
Don’t let this opportunity slip by. Register now to attend one of more of these amazing free webinars and take the next step in your private practice journey.
Meet Dr. Benjamin Ritter
Dr. Benjamin Ritter, founder of LFY Consulting, is an international leadership and career coach, Sr. Talent Management Consultant, Top Career Development and Executive Coaching Voice on LinkedIn, international speaker, values-geek, online instructor, and host of The Executive Podcast, and The Live for Yourself Revolution Podcast. His mission is to guide and empower leaders toward becoming the leaders of their careers and create a career they can love.
With over 11 years of experience working internally as a Talent, Leadership, and Learning Development leader, and externally as a coach and consultant in the realms of talent, organizational, and leadership development, he has worked with clients from Amazon, Coursera, Doordash, Google, Fiserv, Northwestern, Pinterest, Yelp, and more. Ben has guided hundreds of leaders across the globe and thousands through his virtual and in-person workshops. Visit Dr. Benjamin Ritter’s website and connect on LinkedIn and YouTube.
- Common leadership mistakes
- Advice for a Group Practice Leader
- Keeping the DNA of a practice while scaling
- The essentials for good leaders
- Dr. Ritter’s advice to private practitioners
Common leadership mistakes
1 – Change of work: as many private practice owners branch out into offering additional services or different side jobs like coaching or podcasting, they may experience impostor syndrome or a general sense of unease which can creep into how they run their practice.
2 – Delegation: many practice owners who become leaders often struggle with delegating, since they are used to wearing all the hats.
3 – Conflict management: becoming a leader means learning how to manage people. New leaders often don’t equip themselves with the necessary professional and social skills to adequately manage and direct their employees.
Do you have the leadership capabilities and skills to manage conflict internally … In your organization? Not just with your clients, [because] it’s very different when it comes to; “Are you running a business?” And how are you focusing on performance management and development? (Dr. Ritter)
4 – What’s your future plan? Are you working on a succession plan or an exit plan? Having these ideas or routes will help you to structure the business foundations correctly from the beginning.
Advice for a Group Practice Leader
[In a group practice] there are more moving parts, usually, and in general to help a group grow you have to reduce those parts … A lot of times people think that you have to add more, when really you actually have to reduce. (Dr. Ritter)
Dr. Ritter encourages group practice leaders and owners to reduce the parts in their business, meaning to systematize it and streamline some processes under specific umbrellas, led by a leadership team that you have trained and trust.
Find the people who are better at you than doing things and put them in charge of these sections, especially in a growing group practice.
Keeping the DNA of a practice while scaling
When a business grows, it’s sure to be tested.
You want to retain your vision, mission, and values, but Dr. Ritter encourages you to understand that there will be some change since the way you might’ve done business, in the beginning, may no longer be sustainable on a larger scale.
In order to try to craft a culture that is going to be helpful for your current business, it takes intention at every stage of your business. (Dr. Ritter)
Remember, the treatment of clients is paramount. Understand that the way that you handle clients, from onboarding to service to handling complaints or client exits are all exhibits of your business’s value system.
The essentials for good leaders
- Coaching: generally, new leaders who have not led before don’t have the necessary skills. Seek out some guidance along your journey.
- Delegation: learn how to delegate, because you need to grow your internal management and leadership team if you want your business to grow and be sustainable.
- Feedback: learn how to give feedback because if you want to have staff, you will need to learn how to talk to them in a way that they truly hear and understand what you are trying to get across to them.
So generally people make mistakes when they’re giving feedback because they make it personal, they bring up things that aren’t part of the actual conversation, and they aren’t future and development focused. (Dr. Ritter)
Poorly given feedback often leads to conflict. Giving feedback properly leads to sustained and well-communicated change that can be nurtured by an accountability community effort.
When a leader works on these three aspects, they will become one of the greatest leaders that any employee has gotten to work with.
Dr. Ritter’s advice to private practitioners
You’re going to be the reason why you’re able to get up and go to work, or not. Make it work for your staff, clients, and importantly for yourself.
Sponsors Mentioned in this episode:
Books mentioned in this episode:
Michael Stanier Bungay – The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever Michael Stanier Bungay – Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit Dr. Benjamin Ritter’s website and connect on LinkedIn and YouTube.
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Email Joe at [email protected] to suggest guests for the show
Check out these additional resources:
How to Listen: Discover the Hidden Key to Better Communication with Oscar Trimboli | POP 959
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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