When I first started my business in private practice I was convinced it would be an overnight success.  My clinical skills were at the top of my game, I had the highest formal training and credentials available in my field, and I believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that what I did made a meaningful difference in people's lives.  Unfortunately, the community I was trying to serve didn’t quite see it that way.  It was several months after our opening before I saw my first patients and even then they weren’t exactly lining up at my door.  I doubled down on my efforts to build my business but ended up irritating the medical community of nearly the entire county!  

 

     My message was wrong.

 

 I was so convinced that I was the solution, that I alienated myself from the medical community by telling them they had been managing patients wrong all along and I was here to fix that. After several cash calls to keep the business afloat and a huge serving of humble pie, I finally did get the practice off the ground.  As I learned to better connect with others my company grew into a regional multi-site practice which attracted many bright-eyed new clinicians to the team.  I was concerned the quality of care might be diluted, so I leveraged a residency training model to be sure every clinician under my influence would follow the systematic approach that I was delivering.   

 

     My focus was wrong.

 

The desire to form younger clinicians and protect the brand led to a 'do it my way’ approach.  This backfired and created a culture of elitism and a top-down learning model.  The results were destructive and required a massive catalyst to reset.  Over time I learned to mentor in a mutual-learning model where, as the more experienced clinician, I shared knowledge and skills with a less experienced clinician but looked to the junior clinician to reveal where I might grow through the process.  As my company continued to expand into a national brand and millions of dollars in revenue, the practice needed more leaders.  I began to “help” the leaders of struggling clinics by pointing to my methods and my results, implying that if they simply adopted my methods they would get similar results.  

 

     My approach was wrong.

 

My methods and my leadership worked in my market because it was my skills and my team.  Through some professional coaching and self development work I learned that context is unique and it matters.  Understanding the talents, experience, and abilities of that particular leader, the dynamics of that particular team, and the societal norms of that particular market were crucial components to supporting the leader’s ability to create his or her own way to success. Systems and execution and expertise are important, but they are the steering wheel not the engine.  

 

My message has changed. If it's an individual, a team, or an entire community I seek to create connection by adopting the belief that who you are and the experience you have is important and valuable.

 

My focus has changed.  When I am in a position to influence the development of others, my focus is on creating the invitation to become better versions of ourselves through the mutual exchange of our beliefs, abilities, and capacity.

 

My approach has changed. While I still use timeless leadership principles and proven organizational systems, my approach is to apply them with curiosity and respect creating a unique solution that adapts malleably to the particular context.

 

 

 

 

Andrew Bennett has helped people around the world replace confusion with clarity by inviting them to take the next step into who they are capable of becoming.  He is an entrepreneur, a leader, a mentor, and a writer.  

Andrew lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife Heather and their six children.