Are You Someone’s Hero?
In the last chapter we talked about hunger and the drive that must exist between all members of a patient community, including the patients themselves, but what about the patient’s need for a mentor? Remember in previous chapters we talked about how Joseph and Bonnie’s dispositions not only affected their ability to treat effectively but also resulted in lost patients? Patients, because they are people, respond and react to the emotions they receive. We don’t always react in the expected way, but that has more to do with the person interpreting than the person reacting. So how do we set ourselves up so that when we aren’t having the best day ever and performing at our peak state, our patients still receive the best care possible? The answer is heroism. And no, I’m not talking about superhero heroism like we see in the movies today. I’m talking about the heroism of someone behaving in a consistent and positive way that inspires others. When people see someone working harder than everyone else (and I don’t mean slightly harder, I mean orders of magnitude harder), they naturally want to help that person. Following success is a tremendous motivator for many because it means that they don’t have to expect 100% effort from themselves to achieve a goal. In other words, the responsibility isn’t 100% on them, and so they feel compelled to work as hard as possible, if not harder. We all know the power of heroes in fiction and how they inspire their comrades and even enemies, in many cases, to follow the path of good and righteousness. Take the most famous superhero of them all. Superman. As we prepare for the dawn of the Superman movies in cinema, these films raise powerful questions about what is meant by a leader. Many would say that Superman is an example of a great hero, but I would disagree. Superman is a great character and, in fiction, does amazing things for many. However, because his power is so great and far removed from our own, we don’t feel like what he does is ever enough (hence people never truly appreciate Superman except when their lives are on the line). As practice owners and clinicians, we’re often seen this way. We hold in our minds and hands, the ability to create massive change in a patient’s life, change that that patient would otherwise be unable to experience. This truly defines us as Superheroes, but it also presents a major problem. It means we are too far removed from our patients resulting in this kind of detached relegation. We feel compelled as patients to receive care and do so reluctantly, hoping we never need to return (think about it, how many patients truly want to be thinking about their illness?). Now take the example of the practice owner and how we react when we feel like superheroes. Sure, at the beginning, it’s an incredible ego booster, it makes us feel like we are kings and invincible. But then what? The feeling goes away, and we’re left with a patient roster that, quite frankly, is embarrassing by superhero standards. Naturally, this gives way to the feeling of inadequacy and negativity we discussed earlier. So what do we need to do? Simple (but not easy), we need to get closer to our patients. In other words, we need to close as much of the rift between a patient and their physician as possible. Since this is a natural phenomenon with man-made side effects, it is especially difficult to resolve. It means that we, as practice owners, have to first overcome our confidence needs to see ourselves as our patients see each other, powerful and capable. Above is a diagram that describes what I’m talking about. Nature develops these build-in separations as we grow in expertise and capability, but it also creates a lack of empathy and connection with our patients. The real question is, who is responsible for bridging this gap? Heroism lies in effective communication with patients and addressing their concerns holistically. As a practitioner, you should be able to listen to, understand, and share in people’s feelings, beliefs and experiences in order to take care of their real needs and offer individualized care rather than just focusing on the science of the illness. This is part of the spectrum of empathetic communication (Moudatsou et al, 2020). Several strategies can be used to effectively communicate with patients. These include active listening, using plain language while avoiding technical jargon, using relatable examples and illustrations, using appropriate language, keeping the interaction confidential and letting patients explain concepts in their own words to demonstrate understanding. (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Strategies for Effective Communication in Health Care. Sept 2021; Float Care 2023 ) Here’s a great personal example. In graduate school, I was a teacher’s assistant (professor lackeys or TAs as we were widely known) teaching the recitation for a course on statistics for Psychology undergraduate majors. These were first-year students who, for the most part, had no idea what they were doing, but also knew exactly what they were doing. As with most young people, there was a split, and although they needed guidance, they weren’t ready to admit it yet. This was clear in the first month as I clearly entered the room as an authority figure. I was confident in my knowledge of the material and ability to convey it in a manner that would instruct students (sounds engaging, doesn’t it?). Obviously, you can imagine what happened next: I inspired exactly zero students to actually be interested in the material and as a result, many did not pass the first exam. There was an uproar from the professor and from the students, apparently thinking that the recitations were the source of the problem. The professor sat me down for an hour over coffee and tea (I was the difficult one who didn’t and still doesn’t drink coffee), explaining the difference between
Are You Hungry?
Great, now Reuven wants to know if I’m hungry. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about hunger pains or anything like that. I’m talking about drive, the hunger to stop at nothing to succeed. But I’m also not talking about it in the most general sense. In other words, we’re not talking about all those Youtube videos dealing with motivation, drive, and hunger. I’m talking about the hunger unique to healthcare that is required to create a thriving practice. I’m talking about community hunger. When you want to put together a thriving patient community, regardless of specialty, of course, it’s critical that both you, your staff, and your patients feel a certain hunger. Gone are the days of thriving practices where patients simply receive care. Today, a thriving practice depends on the teamwork built between a patient and the staff in the office. However, anytime you have a team, you need teamwork based on a voracious hunger. A driving force that unites the team and propels them forward. Clearing objectives, roles, and expectations; providing training and support; promoting diversity and representation; providing incentives and feedback; and securing institutional support and sponsorship are all examples of effective patient engagement tactics, according to a systematic review on the topic published in Bombard et al. (2018). One of the biggest misconceptions about hunger and drive is that you must be an extrovert or high-energy person to derive strength from hunger truly. In fact, I’ve quite often experienced the opposite. In Joseph and Bonnie’s case, these two had opposing personalities, but Bonnie, who was more of an introvert than Joseph’s incredible extroversion, was clearly overcome by a stronger hunger. She was more consistent in her behavior and suffered from less burnout than Joseph. She was also more adaptable. She was able to empathize with both high-energy patients and low-energy ones. Experience really is the best teacher, and more often, it’s easier to understand high-energy people from a low-energy perspective than to understand low-energy people from a high-energy perspective. According to research, personality factors have been linked to job satisfaction and burnout among healthcare professionals. For instance, higher neuroticism levels have been associated with lower job satisfaction, increased emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. Contrarily, agreeability and scrupulosity are positively connected with job satisfaction and adversely associated with depersonalization (Kang & Malvaso, 2023). These findings imply that managing burnout and enhancing worker well-being in healthcare settings can be facilitated by understanding various personality types. I’ll give you a personal example. I am a high-energy person who loves to be loud, talk fast, and get from A to B with as little in between as possible. I was always the quintessential type A personality who never enjoyed the journey because he was too caught up in achieving the destination. In school, that can often do well for you, as I always achieved top scores on exams and papers. However, my personal relationships suffered greatly. For example, I could never maintain quality friendships (although I had many friends), and forget about romantic relationships where you truly need to be present to be successful. Imagine being so caught up in the result of effort and bringing that to a romantic situation. Strong leadership is crucial in community-based healthcare practices. Effective community involvement projects have been shown to involve communities in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating primary health care services. Community leaders are essential in promoting teamwork and driving the group toward shared objectives (Erku et al., 2023). Ultimately, I had to recognize the drawbacks of my personality and the opportunities that presented. In other words, what were the challenges I had to overcome, and how would those help me to become a better and more contributing individual? At the same time, I struggled because some of my friends had great connections, and I often felt that they were lazy because they spoke slower, didn’t engage at a super high level of energy, and often stayed home instead of constantly going out. It’s important to consider the varied personality types’ needs for recharge time (Grailey et al., 2023). Now we understand the difference in recharge time required for different personality types. For example, if you are more introverted, you can definitely be the life of the party, but afterward, you’ll need some time to recharge the batteries. There’s nothing wrong with this; in retrospect, I think this is more beneficial than constantly being out. The literature also emphasizes the importance of reflection and self-awareness in identifying one’s fundamental limitations and comprehending the advantages associated with various personality characteristics. Extroverts may thrive in social situations and get their energy from continual engagement, but introverts have a special ability to use deep thought and reflection to advance both personally and professionally. This implies that accepting and comprehending one’s innate characteristics might result in personal growth and achievement in a variety of areas of life (Grailey et al., 2023). It challenges us to search for that hunger within instead of constantly being hungry for what’s outside of us. In my personal struggle to expand beyond my core limitations, I recognized the incredible power of introverted people and how I could leverage that to grow personally and professionally. However, one of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking they can grow this way independently. In other words, they think there is a way for them to simply absorb this information without help. Nothing could be further from the truth. Studies have underlined the value of mentoring for improving patient outcomes, career growth, and skills in healthcare settings (Nandwani, 2023). The analogy of hunger shows how, similar to the body’s requirement for nutrition from outside sources, people may need coaching to comprehend and successfully realize their inner desires. Without the right direction, they could make detrimental decisions repeatedly, just like when they consume “junk” without understanding their genuine needs. Mentorship serves as a compass, assisting people in discovering their true desires and fostering both personal and professional development. Think about your body, your purest form of
Navigating Chiropractic Frontiers
In this enlightening conversation, we dive deep into Dr. Lona Cook’s chiropractic journey, a chiropractor, coach, author, and visionary leader. Dr. Cook’s impact on chiropractic, her patients, her family, and the world at large is nothing short of inspirational. We listen to her as she shares her experiences from her chiropractic school days to building and scaling successful practices. Additionally, we explore her unique school program, coaching endeavors, and her profound insights on the intersection of chiropractic philosophy, energy awareness, and leadership. Chiropractic Odyssey: From School to Scaling Practices Dr. Cook’s journey began in chiropractic school at Northwestern, an institution with a strong medical orientation. Despite the initial lack of deep philosophical immersion, Dr. Cook’s trajectory took a transformative turn when she attended a New Beginnings seminar. Inspired by Dr. Eddie Diaz’s visualization exercise, she envisioned a world where everyone recognizes the vital role of chiropractic in a child’s health journey. This moment planted the seeds for her future endeavors. Scaling Practices: Fast-forwarding through her successful practice, Dr. Cook emphasized the importance of adapting and pivoting in response to unexpected challenges. While her initial dream was to establish one exceptional practice, she found herself opening a second practice due to personal circumstances. The partnership model, which involved mentoring and a structured buyout, allowed her to scale her practices successfully. Dr. Cook’s insightful perspective on partnerships highlights the significance of alignment, mutual respect, and shared goals for a thriving practice. Philosophical Foundations and Leadership: Dr. Cook delves into the philosophical foundations of chiropractic and the profound impact it has on her leadership philosophy. She emphasizes the importance of understanding metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and aesthetics—pillars that shape a chiropractor’s worldview. This philosophical depth informs her coaching approach, where leadership transcends mere management. Dr. Cook advocates for cultivating leaders who empower others, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond the chiropractic profession. School Program: Nurturing the Future One of the most captivating aspects of Dr. Cook’s journey is her pioneering school program, bringing chiropractic care to students. Inspired by a New Beginnings seminar, she initiated a program where chiropractors visit schools, initially for teachers and later for students. The program has expanded to multiple schools, with plans to replicate its success in other districts. Dr. Cook envisions a future where chiropractic care becomes an integral part of children’s health and well-being. Energy Awareness and Intuition: Dr. Cook shares her insights on energy awareness, intuition, and their profound impact on decision-making. Drawing from chiropractic philosophy and universal laws, she underscores the importance of recognizing vibrational frequencies in oneself and others. Dr. Cook’s approach aligns with the principle of strengthening strengths and outsourcing weaknesses, fostering a harmonious and impactful leadership style. Coaching with Dr. Cook: Dr. Cook offers coaching services tailored to chiropractors at different stages of their journeys. Prospective clients can initiate the process with a strategy call, where Dr. Cook gains insights into their aspirations and dreams. Her coaching spans from launching and building practices to supporting women in chiropractic who are navigating the complexities of leadership while juggling various roles. Conclusion: Dr. Lona Cook’s chiropractic odyssey is a testament to transformative leadership, aligning philosophy with action, and the profound impact of chiropractic care on individuals and communities. Her visionary initiatives, from scaling practices to pioneering school programs, reflect a commitment to empowering others and leaving a lasting legacy. As we conclude this conversation, Dr. Cook’s words resonate—a reminder that chiropractic is not just a profession; it’s a journey of self-discovery, leadership, and making a difference in the world. View the entire episode by accessing it through: https://bit.ly/3TX5IW7
Transformative Leadership Journey
In a candid conversation, Dr. Jen and Dr. Dean reflect on their journey that began in chiropractic school. From scribbling visions on a coffee shop napkin to now influencing countless practitioners, their commitment to spirituality, clinical expertise, and enduring relationships shines through. The genesis of their journey lies in the fusion of faith, deepening relationships, and the commitment to transformative leadership. We have the incredible opportunity to dive deep into the world of chiropractic leadership with the dynamic duo, Drs. Jen and Dean DePice. With over 35 years of experience, they have not only stood the test of time in their relationship but have also become pioneers in chiropractic coaching through TLC (Transformative Leadership Coaching). The Spiritual Essence: Dr. Jen emphasizes the spiritual aspect of chiropractic care, stating that the most significant subluxations occur in people’s spiritual lives, affecting their relationships, health, and overall well-being. The DePices are on a mission to connect chiropractors with the spiritual dimensions of their practice, believing that this holistic approach can bring unending benefits to individuals and communities. Balancing Prosperity Pillars: The conversation delves into TLC’s four pillars of balanced prosperity: Team-Driven Practice, Promotions and Marketing, Patient Care, and Philosophy. Dr. Jen highlights the necessity of feeding each of these pillars to create a sustainable and impactful chiropractic practice. The emphasis is not just on clinical expertise but also on fostering deep connections and elevating the profession. Leadership vs. Management: Dr. Dean draws a clear distinction between leadership and management, expressing their disdain for the term “management.” Instead, they advocate for mentoring and training people while managing systems. The DePices believe that people flourish when mentored, not merely managed, and stress the importance of raising leaders who, in turn, raise others. Philosophical Foundation: The importance of a clear philosophical foundation is underscored, and the DePices share the five papers that chiropractors at TLC write to define their philosophy. These papers delve into metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and aesthetics, offering a comprehensive framework for chiropractors to align their beliefs with their actions. Out Strategy: Dr. Dean emphasizes the value of crafting an “out strategy” for chiropractors, helping them envision a future beyond their current practice. By writing a functional out strategy, individuals become more excited about their present and often choose to stay engaged in their practices. Conclusion: The blog post concludes by inviting readers to explore the various ways to engage with TLC, from attending events to participating in coaching programs or even starting with digital courses. Drs. Jen and Dean DePice’s transformative leadership journey continues to inspire chiropractors to embrace the spiritual dimensions of their practice and build sustainable, impactful legacies. Access the complete episode by watching it through: https://bit.ly/3U0SI1K