L eaders are born and bred from all different sorts of backgrounds, and they all bring unique perspectives to the table. However, some specific and exact qualities exist that many of these leaders share, and these qualities have helped them become who and what they arc today. A Sense of Confidence When it comes to confidence, leaders need to be balanced. They should not be overly-confident to the point where they are closed to new ideas and believe they have never made a mistake in their pro fcssional lives. However, they need to speak with confidence, and they need to believe in themselves. If they do not have faith in their own ideas, it's going to be difficult to convince other people of them. Experience in The Field Some people wonder why they cannot immediately obtain a leadership position after college. Well, being a good leader really involves knowing the potential problems that could rise up in the field, how to handle situations when they come into fruition, what the latest trends arc and so forth. These arc not really tilings that people arc able to learn in a classroom setting. Educational Background The previous section is not meant to discount the importance of an education; both practical skills and knowledge of the field arc needed to make a strong leader. Without some sort of education or professional training in the discipline, the leader will likely be unaware of certain theories that govern the practices, philosophy or the history of the industry itself. Honesty and Truthfulness Employees need to trust you as a leader. Chances are. if you tell a lie or try to cover something up. you arc going to be found out. Even if you are not. you arc just opening the door to an array of problems. If individuals arc unable to tnist you. then they arc not going to support you. Tough Skin As a chiropractic leader, you are definitely going to take criticism. The criticism might be specifically directed at you. or it might come to the profession as a whole. Whatever the case may be. you want to be certain that you arc ready to handle it. Shrinking down and showing a lack of confidence might only serve to prove the point of your offender. Instead, you must take a diplomatic approach to solving these issues. Problem-Solving Skills Every leader has been met with his or her share of problems. In certain situations, it is best to let a problem marinate for awhile and to try to figure out the optimal solution. However, in other scenarios, you are going to have to come up with an answer almost immediately, and you will need to let people know how the plans are going to be executed. The Ability to Take Charge When a problem situation arises or when a difficult question comes at your practice, all eyes are. quite literally, going to be on you. The employees are going to look to you for an answer, and you need to show that you have the ability to answer it. This shows you arc a strong leader but tliat you also have the know ledge necessary to bring success to the business. Acknowledgement of Mistakes Even though you arc the leader of your practice, you arc also a human being; you arc certain to make a mistake or two from timc-to-timc. Instead of letting this get you down, you should turn around and admit your mistake. Carrying on and on about it is certainly not the best idea. A simple and concise statement is often enough to let employees realize that you have recognized the fault. A Positive Attitude You don't need to be telling jokes even- second or look at the world with an unhealthy amount of positivism, but you do need to earn yourself in a personable way. You should be easily approachable, and you should feel free to incorporate a sense of humor into your words when appropriate. The Ability to Create Teams At a very small entity, this might not be necessary. However, within a larger practice, you will definitely need to assign various responsibilities to different people. Failure to do so means you arc not optimizing the production levels of your business. Smarts and Soul Remember. God provided you with both a brain and a heart, so you need to use both of them in your daily transactions. You should learn how to balance your intuition with the practical information that you know about a situation. Chances arc. your employees will appreciate this approach, and it will end up working out quite well for you. Becoming a great chiropractic leader is a goal that mam chiropractors have. If it's your goal, make sure you consistently work on sharpening these particular skills. By doing so. you" 11 naturally possess a leader's persona in everything you do. Tom Owen III. President of.-IMC. lectures extensively from coast-to-coast to thousands of chiropractors and students annually. He is the author of Chiropractic from a Business Man s Perspective, and has spent the last 25 years in the day-to-day trenches of the chiropractic profession. He lives by his quote that "In the end, all that is left are the lives we 've touched and to what extent they were changed. "
