The Secret to a Stronger Dental Team: Think Like a Coach

A group of people working in the same dental office isn't automatically a team.

Strong dental team leadership requires more than assigning tasks and expecting people to figure things out. It means creating clear expectations, developing your people, and preparing them to make confident decisions.

On the Dental Office Rescue Podcast, Linda Kane sat down with Lynne Leggett, BS, FAADOM, Founder and CEO of Victory Dental Management, to discuss what dentistry can learn from coaching. Drawing on more than three decades of basketball coaching, Lynne sees a natural connection between leading athletes and leading a dental practice.

“Great, Doctor. Well, if you have a team, then that makes you a coach.”

Coach Your Dental Team Instead of Micromanaging

Traditional leadership can easily become directive: do this, don't do that.

Coaching is developmental. Instead of giving team members every answer, leaders help them understand what they're doing, why they're doing it, and how to think through situations themselves.

As Lynne puts it:

“Coaching isn't soft, it's strategic.”

This approach helps team members grow instead of constantly returning to the doctor or manager asking, “What do I do now?”

Linda points out that this matters in training, too. Teaching someone which buttons to click may get a task completed, but understanding the purpose behind those steps prepares them to handle similar situations independently.

Build Dental Team Culture Around Trust and Accountability

Lynne offers a practical way to think about culture: What behaviors are acceptable or unacceptable in your practice?

She encourages teams to define those behaviors together. Once expectations are clear, accountability becomes something the team can share instead of something that only comes from the doctor or manager.

Trust is equally important. Lynne boils it down to one question:

“Are you there for me?”

Sometimes that means supporting someone through a major personal challenge. Other times, it's simply noticing that a hygienist has an unusually difficult schedule and asking, “How can I help you?”

Those everyday interactions help create a team that looks out for one another.

Create Clarity Around Roles and Responsibilities

Accountability becomes difficult when employees aren't sure what they're responsible for.

Linda and Lynne discuss the blurred responsibilities that can develop in dental offices, particularly among administrative teams. Lynne recommends clearly documenting roles and responsibilities while cross-training team members so there is backup when someone is sick or on vacation.

The same clarity matters during onboarding.

Even an experienced dental employee doesn't automatically know how your practice operates. They still need to learn your systems, expectations, and way of doing things.

Lynne's hiring philosophy captures that approach:

“Hire for character, teach the skill.”

Prepare Your Team Before “Game Time”

One of Lynne's strongest comparisons between basketball and dentistry is preparation: time without patients is practice time, while seeing patients is game time.

Morning huddles, management meetings, training, and dedicated administrative time give leaders an opportunity to prepare the team before challenges happen.

If today's schedule is unusually difficult, the team can identify it during the huddle and decide how they'll support each other. If the same problem keeps happening, it may be time to look at the underlying system.

How This Helps Your Dental Practice

Leading like a coach doesn't mean lowering expectations. It means giving people the structure and development they need to meet them.

Take an honest look at your practice. Does everyone understand their role? Are expectations clear? Do team members understand the “why” behind their responsibilities? Are the doctor and office manager leading from the same playbook?

Strong dental teams don't happen by accident. They're built through preparation, clarity, trust, accountability, and consistent coaching.

And Lynne's message gives dental leaders a simple place to start: If you have a team, you're already a coach.

Connect & Learn More

Listen to the full Dental Office Rescue Podcast conversation with Linda Kane and Lynne Leggett for more insights on leadership, team culture, accountability, onboarding, and burnout.

Linda Kane & Dental Office Rescue
Website: dentalofficerescue.com

Lynne Leggett, BS, FAADOM
Founder & CEO, Victory Dental Management
Website: victorydentalmanagement.com
Free Resources: victorydentalmanagement.com/free-resources/