Culture isn’t built on motivational posters, free snacks, or once-a-year team-building exercises. It’s built by you—the leader—through your actions, consistency, and accountability. Want a thriving, engaged team? It’s not about what you say; it’s about what you actually do.
Let’s break down what culture-driven leadership really looks like and how to make it part of your daily leadership (without losing your mind).
Running a successful team or practice isn’t just about the bottom line or performance metrics—it’s about cultivating a thriving culture that empowers and energizes every team member. But not all culture issues show up in obvious ways.
Culture isn’t about fancy mission statements or team-building retreats. It’s about what actually happens every day—the behaviors that get tolerated, the problems that get ignored, and the unspoken rules that shape how your team functions. If you’re a practice owner wondering why your “great culture” still has major issues, it’s time to look at what you allow.
Ever had a moment of pure genius hit while you’re shampooing your hair? Like, you’re just going through the motions—lather, rinse, maybe repeat if you’re fancy—and BOOM. Insight.
Turns out, there’s actual science behind this. Our best ideas don’t come when we’re forcing them. They show up when we let go.
Let’s be real—burnout isn’t just “working too much.” It’s the slow, creeping exhaustion that comes from being too available, absorbing everyone else’s stress, and saying yes when you should’ve said hell no. Sound familiar? Then it’s time to fix your boundaries before your practice steamrolls you.
Let’s talk about burnout—the kind that sneaks up on you while you’re busy running your practice, managing a team, and trying to hold it all together. Because here’s the thing: burnout isn’t just about working too much. It’s about chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and slowly losing control over the business you built (ironic, right?).
If you’re constantly putting out fires, fixing mistakes, and handling things your team should be handling, let’s be real—you’re not leading. You’re babysitting. And that’s a fast track to burnout. So, let’s dig into why this happens, how to shift your mindset, and what steps you can take to build a culture where your team steps the hell up.
Why do our best-laid plans fall apart? Why do we set goals with full confidence only to see them collect dust a few months later? And, most importantly—how do we actually make goal setting work in our practices? Let’s get into it.
Conflict. It’s gonna happen. Whether it’s a passive-aggressive email, a team member with a grudge, or someone constantly stirring the damn pot, conflict is just part of running a group practice.
But here’s the deal—conflict itself isn’t the problem. Bad leadership is.
Have you ever had the privilege of being part of a team where everything just clicked? Where the kismet and synergy was so damn palpable, you could almost taste it?
It almost feels like the team had a secret language or something, like some weird collective unconscious - a shared understanding or an unspoken bond or something that made working together look and seem effortless.
Take a second and picture this with me: you’ve just welcomed your new employee, Dave, who promises to bring a fresh perspective to your team. Hooray for Dave! Everybody is super excited about him joining the team.
::cue dramatic music::
Fast forward one month, and Dave’s fresh perspective is mainly about how to ruin morale.