Listen First, Scale Second

In this episode of The Executive Edge with Dr. Aman Kaur, Dr. Kaur sits down with Jeff Leger, CEO of 123Dentist, one of Canada’s largest dental support organizations.

Just 10 months into his role, Jeff shares what he learned from visiting more than 100 clinics, how his background in pharmacy and large-scale healthcare leadership shaped his approach to dentistry, and why listening remains one of the most powerful tools in leadership.

Together, they explore the future of DSOs in Canada, the connection between oral health and whole-body health, the importance of clinician support, and how 123Dentist is approaching growth, mentorship, AI, diversity, and patient care at scale.

This conversation offers a thoughtful look at what it takes to lead a growing healthcare organization without losing sight of the people, culture, and care at the center of it all.

In this Executive Feature, you’ll discover:

●     Why Jeff prioritized visiting more than 100 clinics in his first six months as CEO

●     How his background in pharmacy and healthcare leadership shaped his transition into dentistry

●     Why listening is one of the most underrated skills in executive leadership

●     How 123Dentist is scaling while staying rooted in patient care and clinician support

●     The role DSOs can play in expanding access, mentorship, training, and career growth

●     Why oral health must be part of the broader conversation around whole-body health

●     How 123Dentist is approaching AI with curiosity, discipline, and real-world testing

●     Why office manager training is a critical investment in the future leadership pipeline

●     What dentists should ask when considering whether a DSO partnership is the right fit

●     Jeff’s perspective on growth, culture, diversity, and building a strong healthcare organization at scale

About Jeff Leger
Jeff Leger is the CEO of 123Dentist, one of Canada’s largest dental support organizations. With a background as a pharmacist and a career leading large-scale healthcare organizations, Jeff brings a patient-centered, people-first approach to dental leadership. His leadership style is grounded in listening, collaboration, and building systems that help clinicians deliver exceptional care.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

My name is Amon Carr and we are on Executive Edge today with the CEO of OneTo Three Dentists, one of the largest DSOs in Canada. And we are going to talk about the future of 123 Dentists and what it's going to do for the DSO industry in Canada. You're going to love this episode. I couldn't be more excited.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

My name is Jeff Legier. I'm the CEO of OneTo Three Dentists, and I'm with Dr. Amon Korr, and I'm on the executive editor. You're really gonna love this episode.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Hi, I am Amon Korr, CEO of Women in DSO. And today I'm here with Jeff Ledger, CEO of One23 Dentist, one of the largest DSOs in Canada. And we are on Executive Edge, and today's episode is about the future of 123 Dentists in Canada and DSO Industry of Canada. So, Jeff, let's get started. I you joined 123 dentist a few months ago, less than a year ago, and not from the dental industry. And you're originally you were a pharmacist leading large organizations and shoppers. How do you feel about being in the dental industry? How has it been so far?

SPEAKER_00 1:24

So it's been 10 months as of uh uh this Monday, and uh it's been great. I've loved, I'd love the dental sector. It it uh really great clinicians that I've met over the over across hygiene, across uh dentists, obviously, also, and then assistants. So everything has been really great. Uh, I've been to over a hundred clinics in my first six months.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Wow. So how did you do that? How many a day?

SPEAKER_00 1:50

I in some cases it was a couple a day, in some cases as many as five. Wow. And it was really important for me to kind of get out and get an understanding of what is dentistry, how do patients experience it, how do colleagues work together? Uh and uh what I came back with is just a real uh passion for what our clinicians do every day, and how can I help them be better at what they do? How can I remove annoyances and help make them more efficient? But first and foremost, how do they deliver better care? And that was really important to me.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

And you know, I uh be having been in this space for some years, um, well, I do know one thing about dentists. We like to we like to welcome our own, and you not being dentist, uh, is it fair to ask how did you what of some of the skills that helped you build credibility, or was it challenging at all?

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Uh so it wasn't challenging. I think obviously people wanted to meet me and and wait and see what I was all about. Um, but uh I'm a pharmacist by training. As you mentioned, I led a large healthcare company called Shoppers in Canada. So it was a very visible and large company. So people knew that I was coming. Everybody knows Shoppers Drug Martin Canada.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

So the folks that were coming there knew that I was coming from a great organization that had a great reputation. But um during those hundred clinic visits, I was uh I was picking up little uh little bits of information about uh the terminology, uh the procedures. I saw a lot of different procedures, how the clinics are run, and I think that helped kind of address the issue that I kind of understand. I'm not a dentist, obviously, I'm not a hygienist, but I still understand uh the care delivery and the important work they do, and that really helped, I think, connect me with uh with our dentist partners.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

And um, Jeff, as you you you know, and I know a lot of our audience knows that in Canada DSO industry is a little bit still at its younger stages. And you coming from shoppers with franchise model, and as you were going into practices, and I know you guys have grown already within your leadership very, very 10 for 10 months, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

And has did people look at you and think, oh, are you gonna change us to franchise model? Or was there a little bit of that as you people were approaching you?

SPEAKER_00 4:16

Uh there was not to you, not to me directly, but I think it was important for me to take the time to learn uh the profession, learn how care was delivered, learn the business. And I really did take that time. So uh that allowed me to kind of be a lot more informed about the path forward and how we can improve. Uh, and uh we we do have a mixed model. We have locations where we have partners, there's locations that are run corporately. It all depends on the location, the clinicians that we have, what they want to do. Uh so that was, I think, really important to kind of uh address those differences. And the model wasn't necessarily to bring uh a franchise model, but to have the right ownership model that meets the needs of our clinicians and meets the needs of the local dentist.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Jeff, I um being a pharmacist, now you are a CEO of a DSO. Did you ever think one day you will be running a dental company? How does it feel?

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Uh so when I was a student in pharmacy school, I didn't even think I would be a president of a shop of a shopper stroke mart either. So, uh, because I didn't come from that environment, it's been kind of a natural progression through clinical leadership and really having the patient at the center of what I do. I do like business, and I went to business school. So um so it actually would, if you asked me um, you know, 30 years ago, would I be the CEO of 123 dentists? I would say no. Uh, but it's been a natural progression. I really enjoy um the mandate and and the mission of what of what dentists and dental health professionals are actually doing. Uh so it's it's felt like a natural progression for me.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

And it's such an exciting time for dentistry because finally people are thinking mouth oral health as a part of the overall health. So I think it might be like a little bit invigorating and satisfying that you can do so much now.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

I've been an incredible evangelist. So I knew dentistry as a clinician, or sorry, as a as also as a patient. Uh I we I we, you know, I obviously generally knew about dentistry as a as a as an industry too. Um, but anybody that I can talk to, like I'm raving about how important the work that uh our dental professionals are doing around, to your point, the link between oral health and also whole belly body health. For me, it's really about primary care and primary care delivery. I think it's underappreciated and unknown to for the mass population. So certainly my myself personally, I'm interested in and I to actually helping tell that story. And I think one, two, three dentists too can actually play a really important role to amplify this, which is which I think is exciting. It's exciting for our partners, it's exciting for this, and it's not just for us, it's also for the whole call, the whole sector, the whole industry.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Um, you know, um, my my son tells me if I'm on a plane and they say any doctor on a plane, uh, someone's getting heart attack, he tells me don't raise my hand because uh uh and he makes me laugh. But uh now I when I hear about oral systemic health, I'm like, Jay, then you don't know.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

But exactly, you should you should put your hand up.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah, he's like so it's a joke. But yeah, it's finally people are considering what the importance of oral health, and it's so good to under finally feel validated to some extent.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

The impact on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, uh you know, uh mental health issues or dementia long-term. There's so many connections. So I'm I'm excited about us helping kind of tell that story and also helping our clinicians get out and and and do that work too.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

Yeah, and it's you know, um, because in the end, um dentists they genuinely care for patients, they care for the person, not just their teeth.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

So it's a holistic approach. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Um, Jeff, every executive you talk to, they will say that the biggest asset is our people. And you have a team of over almost 8,000 plus people. Um so when you inherited this team, and now you're put having some of my favorite executives I've met are from your organization. So you have a you're assembling a top-line talent. How do you how do you approach or have always approached the team and people aspect of the business?

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Well, uh, I know it's easy to say it's all about the people, but it really is, especially when you're delivering a clinical service across over like 500 locations across Canada. We are relying on uh those folks to represent themselves, but also us. So we want to make sure that we can help support them in training and mentorship. Uh, and those are, I think, really important elements. Um, from a leadership team, we have been able to bring uh new people into the company, but I'm also working with a number of folks that have been there right from the beginning. And you you probably know the story already, but not everybody does. Uh so this company was was founded by Dr. Min Shivji, who is a dentist uh based in in British Columbia or Vancouver specifically. And uh I think he he built an incredible business founded on being dentist first and being centered around great care. And we're carrying that along now as we kind of continue to grow, we're not losing sight of that. So trying to build a team that has that vision, but also has operated at a larger scale. Yeah. And when you start, uh, we started with 17 locations and now we have 500. It's a different discipline and a different way of going about it, but culturally, you need to make sure that you're still putting the patient first and you and you're also meeting the needs of the clinician so that they can deliver great care.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Jeff, you're making it sound much easier than it is. Uh so uh anytime I feel like when a dentist have put together a group, it's like their baby, and uh then they trust this baby someone else with their baby, and while they trust it, they're constantly like, is my baby okay? Uh so how how do you kind of what you talked about, maybe share something deeper that how you maintain this. There it had there has to be challenges. It'll be good to know one of some of those challenges too, or some advice.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Well, so in the first 10 months, uh I've largely met folks that came into this group because they were aligned with this philosophy. So so already I was working with, I think, people that were like-minded. But when you get larger and you want to be a bit more predictable in terms of how you perform and how you deliver care, uh that's where you start to kind of, to your point, uh, every once in a while you get a little bit of, you might get a little bit of friction. Yeah. Uh, and the way that we, when that very happens in very rare occasions, we actually really focus in on um what is really the issue here? How can we find a path forward? Um, and it needs to be centered on the patient. So we start there. And I think uh it's been very successful to be able to do that. Uh, and then we spend a lot of time listening. So that is certainly my leadership style is actually listen to understand what's going on and how we can address issues. But it doesn't happen very often. I would say that we've actually had pretty pretty good success up till now.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

That that's good. Um, and friction is not bad always. I I I believe friction is uh sometimes brings necessary momentum, it means like you're moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

So um, yeah, it's not always a bad thing.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

I agree with you.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Yeah, but um I'll come back to it. Um Jeff, I um I would like to get to know you a little bit more because everybody we have all read your bios, LinkedIn. But if I uh if I were to ask, who is Jeff Ledger? How do you who help us get to know you a little bit more?

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Uh so um uh married father of two kids who are now um out of school uh as of the month of May. Our youngest is that will be out of school, well, at least temporarily. Uh so they're 24 and 22. And um so from a home point of view, we spent a lot of time outdoors, very active people, um, and uh and like to get back to eastern Canada where we're from. So we're from New Brunswick. Um we're living in we're we're doing this interview in Ontario today.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Uh so it's like 16 hours by car. Uh so it's a long ways away. Uh, but we have lots of friends there and and spent time back there. Um, and just from a leadership point of view, I I tend to not be a very uh prescriptive or very uh loud leader. I'm more of a listener. I like to find collaboration and consensus uh amongst the leadership team, but also with our partners. And uh and we do take a lot of direction from from our from our partners and from the clinicians in the in the clinics. So from a style point of view, um, not the loudest voice, um, but trying to find that consensus, trying to listen and understand. Um more than you know, more than 90% of the things we do we find already existing in our ex in our clinics.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

So how do we can how can we make that a scaled difference for us?

SPEAKER_01 13:32

It's so hard. Listening is very hard. Listening is so hard.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

It is hard.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Oh wow. Um and then uh uh Jeff, we uh I hear a lot of times work-life balance, all those things, you know, and I've I've heard I've seen your team and they've seem pretty centered, grounded, working hard and moving at a very rapid pace at the same time. Seems like you have it, you all have it dialed in. Is there to a good good degree? I don't think there's some anything anyone can do it 100%.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

No.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

Um but is there some things you all do or you make sure they all have it in place? It'll be good to know which gives them a little bit dialed in with personal life and professional life.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Well, I think if you're the leader of the group, you you should model the behavior you you would want for yourself. So I I try not to email people in the evening. I don't call people on the weekend unless there's a big issue that we're dealing with. Uh and uh and I expect the team to do the same thing with their people. Like you, you know, when we're working, we're trying to work efficiently and effectively. But other than that, the rest of the time you you should be trying to recharge, exercise, uh, a bit of travel, and whatever the whatever people are really into. I have a lot of folks that have kids much younger than mine. Uh so that that requires a different amount of time. So modeling the behavior that you expect. And uh we we are very effective. I I do feel that the team, it's a relatively new team. We're still, you know, obviously still bringing people together and and trying to create that unit. Um, but but I'm I'm very happy with the progress we've made up to now.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Yeah, I have uh been very impressed with everyone I've met. So congratulations. Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Thank you. It's very kind.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

And you we taught we were talking offline earlier that how you are uh bringing more women into your leadership team and all that. I want to hear um why diversity is important. Uh and a lot of people say that you know we they hire the best person for the job, men, women, or anyone else.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

But uh how do you uh make sure that diversity is important and you look for talent and maintaining diversity?

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Well, I think first of all, it's largely uh um a female, you know, um majority, yeah, majority uh profession, especially if you look at hygiene assistants and dentists, right? It's it that's changing. So so that's one thing that I think it's important to be conscious of that, like the people that you're supporting, um your leadership team needs to reflect that. And it also needs to reflect the population that you serve. So from a diversity point of view, you think different parts of Canada have different expressions uh of uh of ethnic backgrounds too. So those are important for us to make sure that we understand uh and can and deliver the care that we need to. Um, from a principal point of view, uh there's there's like things that you can do. You can obviously make sure that when you're recruiting, that you have a good representative talent pool and and final candidates so that you can actually make sure that they're you're not driving towards any bias. Um I'm very excited about the fact that we've implemented an office manager training program. Um, one of the big uh observations in my Hunter clinics is how important an office manager is, but how little training we've provided them.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

It's actually uh you're so right about that. We um I uh I'm guilty of it because we what we notice as an DSO executives is that it's a stepping stone position. And we have noticed that um people don't stay in those positions longer. So the training for them kind of starts once they have been raised, risen through levels. But you're right, if you catch them there, they can go grow through those levels much quicker.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

So that's the hope is that uh that we we help train people, we see a career progression for them. Uh and the the response we got after the first module was overwhelmingly positive. They're like, they're excited about getting the program, uh, excited that people were investing in them too. And uh and then over time, that creates a pool of folks that will eventually become regional managers and will become office uh uh content experts for us, uh, will become vice presidents and maybe one day we'll become the CEO of this company. Uh so you need to create opportunity and create uh a place that uh addresses these issues because they're sometimes not the formal training that you would need.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

And Jeff, um, as you're growing DSOs, um you're growing one, two, three dentists as a DSO, and in Canada there is like mixed emotions about DSOs in different sectors. Some love it, some not so much, some don't want them. And um what would you what is your like you're new to this and what would be your message to people who love it, or how do you like it? Do you what do you think of having DSOs?

SPEAKER_00 18:47

I think it's great because you can actually create momentum and get scale on learning, on mentorship, uh, and then on business elements too that are really important to for for dentistry to to thrive long term. Um so I think it's I think DSOs are really important. I think individual practices are really important too, obviously. And there's some great uh dentists that are that run great practices and are great leaders. Uh, and there's other folks that would just prefer to focus on dentistry and uh and would like to work in an environment that's supportive for them. And I the other really interesting observation, I've not received a negative feedback about it.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

That's good to hear.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Uh and and I would say maybe it's just the timing that I started because I've only been here 10 months, but I I think people are recognizing that if I want a place uh to have a great career, but I'm not interested in ownership or I'm not interested in something in something else, uh, it's better to be part of a community. And I find um a lot of people are crave community. They want to see their, you know, for their uh fellow students when they were when they were in university, or they want to be able to create an environment where they have clinicians in their in their local trading area. Um so and we can do that quite more effectively, I think, than just a single uh individual practice.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

I I can't agree more. I think it's so good for patients because DSO's improve the access and the quality of care because we have so many peer evaluations as compared to Dr. Smith down the street. So it's good for patients, and like you said, it's so good for employees, career progression and uh variation in what they can do.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

And we we plan to continue to invest in helping drive great patient care, helping elevate the standards and help uh help folks have a great career.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Yeah. Jeff, um, you since you inherited uh 10 months ago, this has been like AI on steroid phase, right? And I have met with your CIO, uh very, very bright individual. She's um one of the best AI and CIO I have met in the industry, and I've met a few.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Oleo's great.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Yes, uh, she it really is. And uh, how are you approaching AI is and in your organization and making I know it there's a little hype around it, and yes, it makes people efficient, but ROI is what it's gonna come down to. So, how are you approaching it and how are you making those decisions?

SPEAKER_00 21:23

Yeah, so if you spoke to Oleo, then you would you would know that we created a little AI lab where we're gonna test different concepts. If you think about is it something that could enhance workflow? Is it around the ambient listening and how or ambient uh scribe as an example, or is it uh moving down towards diagnos uh diagnostic assistance? Uh I think all of those are are at different degrees of maturity.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

Mostly all not that mature, yeah. Uh, but maturing quickly. So we want to be connected to it. We want to have a few examples where we're testing it, and we have. We have some clinical uh tools that we're using in clinic, certainly around imaging and x-rays, right? That that that you would know. Um I won't say the name of the various.

SPEAKER_01 22:11

I know it's uh it's one of the contours.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

But but but I think that it's important for us to be able to be not always on the cutting edge, but closely connected to it. Because sometimes if you're always at the front end of things, you're you maybe you're investing dollars that are that disappear uh where you if you wait a little bit longer, then things will be ironed out and and and the bugs may be removed and then they're more scalable for you. So that's kind of the thought here is we want to be not necessarily at the cutting edge on everything, but close that we can adopt and scale, because we can adopt and scale faster.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

And I um have um are you guys using any AI tools uh within the leadership team and management, not just in clinics? Is there some you are you you all are really excited about?

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Yeah, there's a there's a couple. I won't once again say their names. Yeah, uh, but we do all have licenses, and I would say uh there's there's some folks that are using a a lot around just even administrative elements, uh, around how are you preparing analysis for a particular growth initiative, how are you, how are we presenting um, you know, a business case and things like that. So it's it's it's it's actually pretty active. And uh and we notice a huge difference in just in the last couple of releases about how effective they are.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

And why I'm asking this is because a lot of folks in the industry are nervous about losing jobs because now it's like here is this AI head of department, they have two people, and then they have seven AI employees.

SPEAKER_02 23:45

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

All that administrative stuff, and people are nervous. So um, and I I think we are uh organizations are not doing this because they don't want people, they're just doing it just out of necessity with everything being so expensive right now.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Well, it could be also it's hard to recruit in certain areas uh in terms of staffing, those could be one of the drivers. But also if there's tools that help improve diagnosis and improve care you deliver, then I think that we're gonna we're gonna want to lead in lean into those, and I think the profession will too. Um, but uh those are some of the drivers and and and then back office elements in some cases, it is hard for us to recruit folks. So if we had tools that would help us, then that would make it easier.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

Yeah, you're so right. Uh I forgot about that. That there are some locations where certain positions are very, very hard to recruit. Yeah, yeah. And it changes that. So, Jeff, uh, if any dentist listening to this and they're like, Oh, I Jeff seems like a nice guy, maybe we should join one, two, three dentists. And um, I worked with a few different CEOs. What I've learned is, and being one, I would say I tell people every uh DSO is not for every dentist. So when if some dentist is thinking about joining one, two, three dentists, what questions they should ask you and how should they think if it's it'll be a right fit for them?

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Well, I I think the first thing that people should ask is what's our what's the culture like? What's our philosophy in terms of how we support clinics? What are what is their role in the future versus um versus ours? Uh so good clarity upfront makes for better relationships. And often when people are looking to join is because they don't want to do certain things anymore. They don't want to have to manage folks, they don't want to do um more HR-related uh elements, and they want to just focus in on the dentistry. Um, so just I think asking questions around the philosophy, how we're gonna go about it, how do we work together, what support you get, those are really, really important questions. So that that would be my my first uh thought. Uh I think we are very uh amenable and open to many different types of partners. Um, but yet, you know, we want to have certain uh things um managed in a certain way, be just because we think that's we've seen in other clinics that's the that's that's the great that's a great way of doing it. Either it helps uh become people become more efficient, more effective, uh, creates a better environment for colleagues, creates a better environment for patients. Those are all important elements.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

And so one to three dentists now 500 practices already. Um so in 10 months, when I see you again, it'll be in a year because we'll have a next year Canada summit.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

So is it going to be 700? Uh what's next for one to three dentists?

SPEAKER_00 26:47

Uh well, uh the there's a there's a couple things. So one, we want to keep acquiring clock clinics, and we are we are making very good progress. And I would say it's a very good time. There's lots of folks that want to join us. Um, so we we were definitely planning to get above 700. Uh whether it'll be uh it'll be more than a year for us to get there, but we are we are moving uh pretty uh pretty pretty well on that front. I would say the other thing that you're gonna continue to see is we're gonna continue to support the existing network we have. We want them to be uh the best that they can be. We want them to have a focus on patient care. Um so we're you're gonna see more uh stuff stuff from us in terms of how we're gonna just structure that and then and advance that through mentorship and and uh and support and also external support from like a council or an advisory group. So those are things that are really important to us to make sure that we're having uh external points of view around what we do. So you're gonna see that continue to evolve. So uh so growth, predictability, and then broad expansion. And I believe in a year from now you're gonna you're gonna hear that we've been telling uh the broad story about how important dentistry is to oral health and whole body health. Oh, it's playing a big role in that regard. And and uh I think we can.

SPEAKER_01 28:09

Yeah, and there is uh with all that volume, I mean, there's so much that can be done at a much higher regulatory level.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

I think if you tell the story, uh in Canada, we you know we have a very important federal program called the Canadian Dental Care Plan. And it's been incredibly important for people that have not had dental care in 10, 15 years to finally get care.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

Um, and it's well compensated too uh from an insurance point of view, but and it's I think it's had a really important impact on Canadians. We need to tell that story, and we need to help the government understand the impact that they're having too.

SPEAKER_01 28:48

That's awesome. Jeff, as we are closing this executive edge, I want to you to tell me that if what leadership advice I people, I we had an art your article in our uh publication, the lead. And we we monitor what gets read and how much time people spend. So your article was very well read. And uh so there has to be something people looking for in your leadership style. What advice, if someone is like a dentist graduating today or a pharmacist graduating and starting their life, what makes someone a good leader get to a point like you are?

SPEAKER_00 29:30

Okay. Well, I I wouldn't have predicted it. So, but but I would say that uh Some learnings. Some learnings. I see, I think if people are starting out in a clinical space, just be a good clinician, like learn how to deliver great care, um, be um be attentive to your colleagues and and think about uh the think about the profession as a system. So how can you improve the whole system? And I think that's that's kind of got me to where I I've been, I've led large organizations. Um, you know, prior to prior to one, two, three dentist shoppers is is 55,000 people and 18 billion in revenue. So it's a very big network. But um we always focused on how we can improve the teams and how, and that's at the center of I think my leadership style. It's listen, go out, meet people, understand the patient flow, understand the work that people that people are doing, and help be an evangelist and help support that. Um, but then also if you understand it, then you can better help influence kind of what we need to do. So listening is a is is often underappreciated.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

It is because it's I think it's because it's so hard. It's so hard. It's uh I I find it very one of the hardest things to do.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

Yeah. Or to do it well. Yeah, to do yes, but uh, but I do listen, I do my listener, but we're also I'm also very prone to act quickly when I have a good conviction and we have good alignment, then the implementation moves fast because people understand we've listened, people understand why we're doing it. Now we don't always get this right. And I've had lots of experiences in my life where it's not, but I try to learn every time. So what what what didn't go right? How can I make uh uh it better next time? And it applies to every profession or any other business. So this is the same principles.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Well, thank you so much. I um you s I I can see you are a genuinely good listener, and that's remarkable. Well, thank you so much for your time, but a pleasure having you.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

Well, thank you so much for your time too. It's been really fun.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Yes.