I have successfully lead individual medical spas and cosmetic practices with teams of 10 to large multi-site organizations with 37 locations and teams of 1,000. To be a great leader is very different than being a great manager. Both are needed within a medical spa or cosmetic practice. In benchmarking best practices I find that the successful locations have a Medical Director (typically the physician/owner) who embraces their role as the leader of their business. They drive their business culture and team to success. In addition, they typically have a great Practice Manager that takes on the day-to-day responsibility running the practice.
The following identifies the difference between managing and leading.
What defines a manager:
- Makes things happen
- Implements policy
- Responsible for the team’s actions
- Insures accountability
What defines a leader:
- Influences the team with respected authority
- Provides guidance
- Shows people what it should look
- Inspires the team to want to achieve
Attributes of a Manager vs Leader:
Day-to-Day Operations
Manager: Administers
Leader: Develops
Problem Solving
Manager: Focuses on systems & structures
Leader: Focuses on people
Team Management
Manager: Relies on control
Leader: Inspires trust
Planning
Manager: Short range view
Leader: Long range perspective
Strategy
Manage: Asks how & when
Leader: Asks what & why
Business Boosting
Manager: Eye to the bottom line
Leader: Eye on the horizon
Research & Development
Manager: Imitates success stories
Leader: Creates success stories