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<\/h3>\n<\/h3>\nJune 8, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n Lessons on being a great practice leader can be found from both inside and outside of optometry. When you hear of a great leader outside of our field, make a mental note and apply the lessons they have to offer.<\/p>\n Recently my daughter brought home a project she did in school about great American leaders.I was amazed by the broad spectrum of people and the array of varied fields of accomplishment she had listed. How was it that these people were able to achieve more than their competition? And can we, as optometrists, learn from their examples?How can we rise to the top?<\/p>\n The great American leaders on my daughter’s list followed one of three models of leadership.<\/p>\n Several leaders on the list were driven by a cause or purpose.Some, like Martin Luther King, Jr., were resisters. Others, like Steve Jobs or Walt Disney, were empire builders. All of these people didn\u2019t set out to lead in pursuit of riches, but rather, were motivated by a belief. The goal of these leaders was not to sell people what they created, but to make people believe what they believed. Dr. King roused crowds of thousands by professing his ideas about a future without racism. Walt Disney believed that all people deserve a magical experience. Steve Jobsinspired people towait six hours in a line to buy his newest creation because they believe that Apple products challenge the status quo.<\/p>\n Those who lead by purpose tend to attract people who want to be inspired. What better way to create a loyal, hard-working staff than to establish a group of people who work for you because they support the mission for your practice?<\/p>\n I practice with my husband, and our missionis to providetopnotch medical optometry. After my husband attended a continuing education course about amniotic membranes,he presented products and services about it at our nextstaff meeting as a way to help all our patients with recurring corneal problems. He brought up specific patients who could benefit from this therapy, and the staff nodded, knowing how happy those patients would be to find relief. At this staff meeting, amniotic membranes were not introduced simply as a new procedure for our practice; they were presented as a solution that helped advance our mission.This is aperfect example of leading through purpose.<\/p>\n Several of the leaders on my daughter\u2019s listwere pioneers, people who understood survival, renewal and reinvention. These leaders, such as Neil Armstrong, Sacagawea and Oprah Winfrey were multitaskers, collaborative and curious, eager to venture into new territory. Neil Armstrong explored the moon. Sacagawea managed language barriers and neutralized physical danger to help lead Lewis and Clark into new territory. Oprah Winfreycrossed racial and gender boundaries to reinvent daytime television and createa visionarybrand.<\/p>\n Trailblazersare masters of opportunity. They lead by courageous exploration, seamless management of crises, all while maintaining humility. On the descent to the moon, a navigation error forced Armstrong to take manual control of the spacecraft. Sacagawea survived capture and raids on her tribe. Oprah managed feisty guests on live TV and handleda controversial lawsuit. Amidst the tribulations, however, all of these leaders broke barriers and pushed forward into new territories.<\/p>\n In our optometry practices, people who identify with the trailblazing qualities can show leadership by being courageous enough to abandon a model that has been successful and try something new. Buy the new equipment, try a new specialty, build a new office, choose a different location, hire an associate, create a partnership, change your hours, create a new schedule. If you keep doing what\u2019s comfortable and familiar, you\u2019ll keep getting the same results. Great leaders are not satisfied with the familiar. They build emotional stamina to ignore the naysayers and venture into new territory.<\/p>\n On the list of great American leaders, several were heroes: presidents and patriots. What was so interesting about these leaders was their actions, so courageous, were all about creating an environment of safety for others, even if it put themselves at risk.<\/p>\n When the world created stressful situations such as the Civil War or the Great Depression, leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and Franklin D. Roosevelt worked to restore dignity and stability to make people feel safe. In a time of true turmoil, Susan B. Anthony put her own life at risk to campaign for the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property, and she advocated for women’s labor organizations. In the midst of the worst economic times the U.S. had ever seen, FDR created a government program to aid the people who had fallen on hard times, giving them a sense of dignity by creating jobs and security through employment.<\/p>\n When a leader decides to put the comfort and safety of those inside their circle first, the natural response is for the people to trust and cooperate with their leaders, creating a symbiotic relationship. If people feel safe within their jobs, respected and valued by their employer, they feel like they belong to a community and they will fight for what\u2019s best within that circle.<\/p>\n In optometry, we can strive to make our employees feel safe by letting them know we have their backs and we value them. Recently, wehad a patient who purchased a very expensive pair of glasses. He came back to our office a week later and said that the prescription was fine, but he regretted the frame he selected. They didn\u2019t flatter him, he said. On the spot, our optician told him that our main objective is customer satisfaction and he should pick out a new frame and we\u2019d remake them. She didn\u2019t go back and get permission from a doctor because long ago we had trained our staff to know that we trust their judgment. This type of complaint very rarely happens and the optician felt safe enough within our practice to know we would support whatever avenue she chose to rectify the situation.<\/p>\n We strive to create an environment where we respect our staff enough to encourage independence, knowing that their decisions are born of a place of integrity with the intention to promote our practice.<\/p>\n Looking over my daughter\u2019s school project, I learned a lot about great American leaders. Leadership is a choice, not a rank. We can learn effective leadership practices by studying the models of behavior of great leaders from various disciplines.<\/p>\n Where have you found the most helpful lessons in leadership? What stories and lessons of leadership have made you into the practice leader you are today, or hope to become?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jennifer Jabaley, OD<\/strong>, is a partner with Jabaley Eye Care<\/a><\/strong> in Blue Ridge, Ga. Contact: jabaleyjennifer@yahoo.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jennifer Jabaley, OD <\/strong><\/strong>Lessons on being a great practice leader can be found from both inside and outside of optometry. When you hear of a great leader outside of our field, or in history, make a mental note of it, and apply the lessons they have to offer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[77,1],"tags":[58,296],"yoast_head":"\nLeaders Who Have a Purpose<\/h5>\n
Leaders Who Are Trailblazers<\/h5>\n
Leaders Who Make You Feel Safe<\/h5>\n
June 8, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n