By Edwin A. McDonald, DDS

At The Pankey Institute, we often discuss the “Cross of Dentistry.” We spend years perfecting our clinical technical skills, but many of us find that the most significant hurdles to a “preferred future” aren’t clinical at all—they are behavioral and managerial.

For example, the dentist invests in new dental technology, only to find it isn’t being used because the team hasn’t embraced the change. Meanwhile, the office manager crafts a detailed protocol to improve patient handoffs only to see it ignored.

The missing ingredient isn’t more training or better software. It’s Clout.

What is Clout?

As Jenni Catron explores in her book, Clout, influence is not a title, it is a responsibility. In a relationship-based dental practice, clout is the fuel that moves us from “bossing” to “influencing.”

Clout is the powerful confluence of influence and trust.

• For the Dentist, clout means moving beyond the authority of the “owner” and earning the influence of a leader people want to follow.

• For the Office Manager (or the team member stepping into that role), clout means moving beyond being a “gatekeeper” of the schedule and becoming an “architect” of the culture. It’s about leading from the center of the hub.

In many small dental practices, there is no official “Office Manager.” In these settings, Clout becomes even more vital. Dental practice leadership isn’t coming from a single person in a corner office; it must be a shared resource that allows the team to move as one.

The 4 Facets of Dental Practice Leadership

To build a practice that reflects The Pankey Philosophy, the leadership team must align on four pillars:

1. Identity: Knowing who you are as a leader so you can lead with authenticity.
2. Mission: Connecting every task to the “Why” of patient care.
3. Vision: Maintaining a clear “Line of Sight” to the practice’s future.
4. Strategy: The human-centered “How” that makes the vision a reality.

Cutting Through the Noise with Communication Intelligence

Even with the best intentions, our influence often dies in the “static” of a busy day. This is where Colleen Jones’s concept of “Content Intelligence” becomes vital.

Every morning huddle, every internal email, and every treatment presentation is “content.” If it isn’t Relevant, Accurate, and Actionable, it’s just noise.

The relationship-based dentistry focuses on improving communication that is polished and empathetic. We must address the psychology of the team before we present the logic of a new system.

The Two-Step Filter for Leadership Communication

When a Dentist or a leadership-focused team member wants to move the needle, they must navigate the gap between their intention and the team’s reception. We do this through a simple, two-step process:

1. Simplify the Message (The Clout of Clarity)
   Using your clout means doing the hard work of editing. By the time the message reaches the team, it must be Relevant, Accurate, and Actionable. You are influential when you protect their time and focus.
2. Leading with Empathy in Dentistry (The Clout of Connection)
   Information doesn’t land in a vacuum; it lands in a human being’s busy, often stressed, day. When you present that simplified message, empathy in dentistry eases the burden for what the recipient is experiencing. This destresses the “oh no” reaction and enables the recipient to “hear” the message.

When you combine these two steps, you aren’t just “managing information.” You are building a culture of Psychological Safety.

When a team member knows that the information they receive will be clear and that their reality will be respected, they stop living in “defense mode.”

They start to grow. They feel safe enough to ask questions and suggest improvements. They feel your trust in them, and they feel responsible to follow through with confidence.

Clout isn’t about how much you can say. It’s about how much you can be heard. And you are only truly heard when the team feels safe enough to listen.

The Reflection for the Week: Is your dental practice leadership based on the power of your position or the clout of your relationships? Influence is the bridge between the practice you have and the practice you’ve always dreamed of.