13 min read

Is It Your Staff or Is It You? Leadership Truths Dentists Avoid

Picture of Four Quadrants Advisory Four Quadrants Advisory Updated on August 6, 2026

staff

In this eye-opening episode, Casey and Jarrod dig into one of the most common dentist-to-dentist conversations: staff complaints. They explore why so many practice owners default to blaming their teams—and how that habit often hides deeper issues with leadership, clarity, and accountability.

With plenty of humor and real-world stories, they break down the four types of team cultures they see again and again, from “just get through the day” to the true gold standard: a collective pursuit of excellence. Casey and Jarrod challenge listeners to take an honest look in the mirror, because the tone, culture, and success of a practice always start at the top.

Announcer:
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Millionaire Dentist Podcast, brought to you by Four Quadrants Advisory. On this podcast, we break down the world of dentistry finances and business practices to help you become the millionaire dentist you deserve to be. Please be advised, we do speak with an honest tongue and may not be safe for work.

Casey Hiers:
Hello and welcome. This is Casey Hiers back at the Millionaire Dentist Podcast in studio with co-host Jarrod Bridgeman.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Casey, good morning. How are you?

Casey Hiers:
Doing well, doing well.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Casey, you know how much I love talking to you. We do it every day, not always in front of a microphone, and we've often talked sometimes because I'm always very interested, since you're out and you get to speak to dentists and specialists constantly, and face-to-face time, are there some certain aspects or complaints maybe that you find that dentists will speak about, a common theme?

Casey Hiers:
When I'm amongst the people, and that's a lot of our CE, it's addressing a lot of the challenges practice owners face, and our subject matter expertise comes from more of financial and tax and money, which is very important. But one of the biggest challenges when we get into that, it's incredible that that's the first place that practice owners will go, is their team or their staff. I say it's incredible because ultimately, if you're making a boatload of money and you're saving a hundred thousand dollars a year for retirement and you're on track for an eight-digit retirement, normally staff doesn't bother you as much because you've get your money right. But psychologically, I think that number one, it's a day-to-day challenge, and so it's right in front of their face and top of mind. But number two, it's a little easier perhaps because you're almost deflecting away from-

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I was going to ask if it was a deflection.

Casey Hiers:
Like, "Well, my money's not right. My overhead's terrible, and I don't like my business model, but I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about staff," because it almost feels safer.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Right. It's like a husband complaining about his wife with his friends. Maybe you're a jerk.

Casey Hiers:
I never do that. I don't get your reference, Jarrod.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I know. Honestly, every time I talk to you, Casey, you just say nothing but great things about your wife.

Casey Hiers:
Well, that's true.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yeah, that's true.

Casey Hiers:
She's awesome. But yeah, team and staff is one of those that ultimately, when I'm presenting, I like to get away from, but it's a topic that we're going to tackle today a little bit, staff and team, I've heard, "Oh, staph is an infection. You must call him a team." That's cute. That's why I say staff and team.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I've never heard that.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah. Yeah, I heard that once, and it was just...

Jarrod Bridgeman:
What about family? What about your family? You're calling your staff or your team a family?

Casey Hiers:
This is just me doodling for a few minutes of prep. I'm going to break it down into four. If you think about your team and your staff, it seems to be a frustration, and I get it, hiring is hard, and you're paying them more money.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Sometimes people just suck. That does happen.

Casey Hiers:
If you want to lose your faith in humanity, go to an airport or a mall. I've been saying that for years. Holy smokes. Anyway, but I've broken it down into almost four buckets. If your team and your staff, there's maybe four stereotypes or four types of team or staff, and we're going to jump into that a little bit. I'm going to go from my least favorite to my favorite. But the first, I think maybe if a practice owner had to describe their staff, unfortunately, the worst one would be they're a just get through the day. Your staff and your team they know they have a lot of really important things to do, and they just put their head down and are just trying to get through the day. You can have that as just a very negative, where it's just a zombie that just wants to get through the day and just "Leave me alone." Or just somebody who they're almost so overwhelmed with the task at hand that they're just not wanting to make a mistake. That's a just get-through-the-day mentality.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
It's almost like what they call the grind, grinding through the day.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
It wears you out.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah. That's hard on everybody. Patients too,

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yep. They pick up on-`

Casey Hiers:
Energy.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
That energy and that body language and the tone of voices.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah, I've gone to different dentists in my life, and now looking back, I love where I'm currently at and like most of them, but there's times where maybe there's a substitute hygienist or somebody, and you can just feel it. I would just be like, "What's wrong? Are you okay?" But I don't want to ask him. I think they're going to say, "No."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
That's right. Then you're stuck in a thirty-minute conversation.

Casey Hiers:
Opening that Pandora's box. But it's that just get through the day mentality, and that's no good. The second one might surprise you when thinking about your team or staff, like, "Oh, we're family. We have a family mentality," and that's been around for decades, and that description of any many companies.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
It's a very dated way of companies.

Casey Hiers:
It's dated. Here's the thing: is that a positive or a negative, because there's a lot of families that don't talk to each other, they hate each other, they stab each other in the back. They haven't talked to each other. That family reference, number one, I don't know that it lands number two. What are you saying? We're very close, and we like each other, and we spend time. I just don't know what it means. It sounds cheesy to me.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I will say that it's a well-known red flag for younger generations if a company says that.

Casey Hiers:
Get into that.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Very much with younger Millennials and Gen Z, it's what you're saying is if they tell you you're a family, that almost implies little to no raises in terms of pay, maybe working extra because they're asking you to do favors for them. It's just a-

Casey Hiers:
It's a negative context. Yeah.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yes.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah. That whole "Oh, we're family," I just don't buy it. I think that in any work setting or professionally, you should, who you're working with, you should get along and challenge and maybe do things outside of the office. I think that's all good.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I'm not going to lie. I love working here, but I'm also here to make money.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah, right? I've got a buddy, and his wife talks about how we're all family at work and blah, blah, and he's like, "Oh, cool. Would you do it for free?" Then there was an argument about that. It is like it's a plus to where you work and the people you work, but you're there to make money. You're not necessarily there to make friends or certainly not to have extended family. That's a great bonus if that's where you are. I am not being a dick about it, but I find that... "We're a family," I find it insincere, and I almost want to ask people, "So what do you mean by that?" Because there's good families and there's bad families, but that's the second one. I think that one might surprise people, but I don't know that that's the best way that you want it.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Then if you fire somebody, it's like you're firing your grandma.

Casey Hiers:
Well, yeah.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
That's rough.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah. That's the other thing, "I just fired another family member," and then if you hire somebody new, "Well, you've got a new stepbrother." It's like, "Do you want one?" There's a lot of psychology there, but I think that that descriptor, you can either take advantage of people or get away with things. I don't love that. The third one is okay, maybe... Now, the third and the fourth ones I think, are where you're starting to turn the corner to be more positive. We're accountable, so there's respect and all those things, but we're accountable. We're accountable to each other to get a job done, to accomplish a goal. I think that's a good start.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Being accountable to both your teammates, crew, and your patients.

Casey Hiers:
Your patients. Yeah. Yeah. I think a culture of accountability is a really good place to start.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I feel like it drives pride, too, having pride in your work.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah, if you're all accountable to the mission or the vision and you all do it, you give each other that nod like, "Hey, we did this."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
That acknowledgement.

Casey Hiers:
That's great. Versus if you have a family of 10 and two of your family members support the other eight, again.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Those really shitty group projects in college.

Casey Hiers:
Again, one person does the work, but I think that accountable, we're accountable to each other. I think that should be the bare minimum.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yep. Actually, you know what? Oh my gosh, that's such a good thing to say. That also works just in an actual family, not just your "work family."

Casey Hiers:
It's a novel concept, right?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Oh my gosh, I'll have to talk to my wife.

Casey Hiers:
We're all accountable.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Give me five minutes.

Casey Hiers:
Even with kids, I think that's important-

Jarrod Bridgeman:
To instill in them.

Casey Hiers:
To explain that, like, "Hey, as we're all accountable to make sure our home is clean."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Clean or whatever.

Casey Hiers:
Instead of just barking at them. As a practice owner, if you're just barking at everybody to do things versus, "Hey, we're all in this together." If you're the captain of a ship, "Hey, this is what the ship is, and this is what it's about, and this is where we're headed. If you don't like that vision, don't get on the ship."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Right.

Casey Hiers:
"If you're on it and you don't like it, get the hell off the ship." But that all needs to be really clear.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Here's a lifeboat, made it.

Casey Hiers:
When you set those expectations, new hires, I think that's important. Give them a vision of where you are at and what you want.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Having that mission statement and all that, yeah.

Casey Hiers:
You might go, "Hey, right now we're an office that's highly accountable to each other, but our goal is to get to the next step, which is: pursuit of excellence."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Okay.

Casey Hiers:
Let's have an office, a staff, and a team that we are all accountable and pulling in the same direction. We're on a pursuit of excellence.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Okay, what would you say that is for a possible example?

Casey Hiers:
I think it can be different, but I think that there needs to be clear expectations and metrics, and when there's metrics, there's potentially some incentives.
I think that really helps everybody then be accountable to each other, but then you're all pursuing excellence. You're pursuing more than just accountability, and again, that's going to get felt by your colleagues, the practice owner, hygienist assistants, office manager, patients, right?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Right.

Casey Hiers:
Patients are getting, I would say the majority of the time, really, really good clinical care. Now, I've been to a terrible dentist out in Southern California, and still that's son of... Anyway.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I told you to stay out of that alley.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah, free dentistry in that alley, in that van. It just seems so inviting, but that pursuit of excellence, it's a concept, but then you can also drill down and make it... "Here's what we mean by that. Here are the six metrics for pursuing excellence," but ultimately, it's attitude, it's joy. There's a lot of things that maybe you can't measure, but that's the culture that you want. That's the culture you want in your family. That's the culture you want with friends, at a workplace, as you're serving your patients and your team and staff, be in a pursuit of excellence. Just getting through the day is not good enough. The cliche family thing, if you're pursuing excellence and you're accountable to each other, the family label is going to be laughable.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yes.

Casey Hiers:
Because you guys are actually all going to achieve something. But those are the four, and it's ask yourself, "Where am I at? What is my team? What is my staff? If I don't like it, what am I going to do about it?"

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Right, because it all comes back to you.

Casey Hiers:
Stop using the excuse of, "Well, everybody, it's a tough hiring market, labor market, underwhelming talent is coming, demanding money, and I've got to do it." Again, if you let the tail wag the dog, you're going to be frustrated, and it's on you. Again, this is all top down.
You ever see the movie? Remember the Titans?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yes. That's the high school football, right? Was it high school?

Casey Hiers:
Actually, I don't even fucking know. I think it was, anyway.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
It was a football game.

Casey Hiers:
Wasn't it the jail, was it high school, or... Oh, The Extra Yard was the jail one.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Was it Dennis Quaid?

Casey Hiers:
No.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Anyways.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah, so remember the Titans, right? Right. Do you remember it?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
I remember it coming out.

Casey Hiers:
[inaudible 00:12:10].

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Worked at a video store when that came out, running out VHS copies.

Casey Hiers:
Video connection?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yeah.

Casey Hiers:
Blockbuster, which one was it?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Back then, it was Video Stop that got bought by Blockbuster, which is no longer around.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we won't get into that. Here's a quote from that movie. "Attitude reflects leadership, Captain."

As the practice owner, you're the captain. If you don't like the attitude of your staff, look in the mirror. This is top-down, and if you don't like it, most likely you are the origin of it. While so many practice owners like to get into that topic because it's almost deflecting and not super personal about, again, income, overhead, retirement, savings, when can I retire? All those real personal things that we master, this staff and leadership... This is something that it starts and stops with the practice owner, and if they don't like it, look in the mirror.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Just talk to yourself like Michael Jackson.

Casey Hiers:
Man in the Mirror.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Man in the Mirror.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah. We got to play some background music, but again, "Attitude reflects leadership, Captain." What a quote, it says, this is top down. We ask our clients, "What type of practice do you want?" We help build the blueprint, the roadmap, and the path to get them there to be profitable. What kind of staff and team do you want? You need to ask yourself that. You need to start there. Maybe it has to do with finding a, this sounds super nerdy. Finding a book that illustrates the way you want your team and get that book for them, and "Hey..."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
There's all kinds of books out there with all kinds of, as you said, advice for things like that. For example, I bought a book this week called How Not to Be an Ass, so I can learn to be nicer at home. There's all kinds of stuff like that.

Casey Hiers:
Yeah. I won't tell you the book that came today, it's geopolitical politics and conspiracy facts or theories, whatever you want to call them. I won't get into that, but I wanted to spend some time on this because we hear it a lot.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
That's not to say that we're poo-pooing on real complaints that may be happening with staff, but-

Casey Hiers:
It's real, but the origin is you. What are you going to do about it?

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Yep. It's time to stop deflecting. It's time to look inward, and if you need to correct your steering on your ship, you get to it.

Casey Hiers:
Well, think about Thanksgiving. So many times, people are like, "Oh," they dread Thanksgiving because they have to get together with family, and they enjoy their Friendsgiving. They're so excited to have some time off and to spend time with friends, and so again-

Jarrod Bridgeman:
With their chosen family.

Casey Hiers:
The family culture label connotation, I think it's dated, I think it's cliché, and I actually think it can be viewed as negative. Pursuit of excellence, make that your standard, and then lead your team in that manner. It's going to be so much better. Again, doubling your income and saving a boatload of money and having 12 million, that'll change your attitude, and you don't care.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Softens things up a little bit, yeah.

Casey Hiers:
Our clients will tell us, "Yeah, our staff doesn't piss me off as much because all these other things are right."

Jarrod Bridgeman:
They're going great.

Casey Hiers:
But hey, if you're a DIYer out there trying to master the business and financial side of dentistry while providing great dentistry, the onus is on you to have that great team and staff. Don't just shrug and throw your hands up in the air. Do something about it, and that strong leadership will resonate down, no doubt about it.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Casey, you're going to be traveling again soon. If you folks out there want to check out

Casey Hiers:
Highball and Harvest-

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Highball and Harvest.

Casey Hiers:
Is a badass place in Orlando.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Orlando, that's right.

Casey Hiers:
Yep. We'll have some great subject matter on the business side of dentistry at a great venue, with enjoying some great things.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Go to four qualitative advisory.com/events.

Casey Hiers:
Get registered.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Click on it and make sure you register. It's going to be awesome.

Casey Hiers:
Oh, it's going to be fantastic. Just so you know, there's a $50 placeholder when you go to register. When you attend, you get that money back, but just like you don't like no-shows in your practice, we need to have accurate counts, and so it's been really good. We've just started doing that, but yeah, it's a placeholder, and there's limited seating. These events sell out. People love that they go. We've had people recently go, "Hey, I heard it on the podcast, looked it up, registered, and so glad I'm here." But yeah, we'll be in Orlando, and then after Thanksgiving, Olive and Ivy in Scottsdale.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Correct.

Casey Hiers:
I've been there before.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
In the Phoenix area.

Casey Hiers:
Of my favorite places that place rocks.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Is it? I've never been to Phoenix.

Casey Hiers:
I like to think people want to come to hear the subject matter.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
But a nice venue doesn't hurt.

Casey Hiers:
But Highball and Harvest in Orlando and Olive and Ivy in Scottsdale, those places are awesome.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Fire.

Casey Hiers:
Fire, as the kids say.

Jarrod Bridgeman:
Fire, baby. All right, Casey, thank you so much.

Announcer:
That's all the time we have today. Thank you to our guests for their insight and for sharing some really great information. Thank you to you, the listener, for tuning in. The Millionaire Dentist Podcast is brought to you by Four Quadrants Advisory. To see if they might be a good fit for you and your practice, go on over to fourquadrantsadvisory.com and see why, year after year, they retain over 95% of their clients. Thank you again for joining us, and we'll see you next time.