Taking Care of Yourself While Leading Your Practice

Why looking after yourself and your team is essential to sustainable practice leadership

Running a practice is hard work. And if you’re not careful, the job can take more from you than you ever intended to give.

Between managing staff, supporting patients, overseeing finances, and keeping daily operations on track, practice leaders are constantly pulled in different directions. One minute you’re addressing a scheduling challenge; the next, you’re navigating a staffing issue, reviewing financial performance, or responding to an unexpected patient concern.

You’re the person everyone comes to for answers. And more often than not, you’re the last one to leave.

Camille White, COPM, Senior Director of ENT Services at Audigy and Past President of ASCENT, knows that feeling firsthand. Having experienced the demands of practice administration herself, she understands how easily dedication can turn into exhaustion, especially when taking care of everyone else becomes more important than taking care of yourself.

But here’s the reality: You can’t lead well when you’re running on empty. And the habits that feel like dedication today can make it harder to show up as the leader your practice needs tomorrow.

Recognize When You’re Running on Empty

Whether you’re leading an independent audiology practice or managing a multiservice ENT clinic, there’s rarely a shortage of things demanding your attention.

You might spend your morning addressing staffing concerns, your afternoon coordinating with physicians or audiologists, and your evening catching up on administrative work that couldn’t fit into the day. Before long, the occasional late night becomes routine, and taking a break feels like a luxury you can’t afford.

But constantly pushing through isn’t a sustainable leadership strategy.

Pay attention to the signs that you’re stretched beyond your limits. Maybe your patience is wearing thin, you’re having trouble sleeping, or you’re already dreading Monday by Saturday morning.

Those aren’t necessarily just the unavoidable stresses of a demanding job. They can be signals that something needs to change.

And ignoring them doesn’t make you a stronger leader.

Stop Mistaking Exhaustion for Dedication

Some of the habits we associate with being hardworking can actually work against us.

Skipping lunch to catch up on emails. Letting vacation days go unused. Answering work calls at all hours because you don’t want to let anyone down.

Sound familiar?

These habits might help you get through a particularly busy day, but over time they can leave you with less energy, patience, and focus for the work that matters most.

Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean caring less about your practice. It means recognizing that your well-being plays a role in your ability to lead effectively.

And it doesn’t have to start with sweeping changes. Sometimes it’s about giving yourself permission to do the things you already know you need.

• Take the lunch break. Actually take it. Step away from your desk, put down your phone, and give yourself a chance to recharge.
• Use your vacation time. Not because you’ve earned a reward for working hard, but because taking time away is vital.
• Set boundaries around availability. You don’t have to be reachable every minute of every day. Establish reasonable expectations for when and how work-related matters should be addressed.
• Share the responsibility. You don’t have to solve every problem yourself. Delegating tasks and empowering your team can help you focus on the responsibilities that truly require your attention.
• Make room for life outside the practice. Protect time for the people, activities, and experiences that help you feel like yourself.

These steps may sound simple, but when you’re used to putting everyone else’s needs first, following through can take practice.

For additional ideas, explore our 3 Tips for Better Work/Life Balance.

Your Team Needs Support Too

Your team is paying attention to how you lead.

If you’re consistently working through lunch, responding to emails late at night, and never taking time off, what message does that send to your employees? Even if you encourage them to maintain a healthy work/life balance, your actions may suggest that being constantly available is what it takes to succeed.

The good news? You have an opportunity to set a different example.

Building a healthier workplace starts with creating an environment where people feel supported, appreciated, and comfortable speaking up when they’re overwhelmed. That might mean encouraging employees to take their breaks, making sure they have coverage when they use vacation time, or checking in regularly about their workloads.

It can also mean looking at the bigger picture.

Are inefficient workflows creating unnecessary stress? Are responsibilities clearly defined? Does your front-office team have the support it needs during busy periods? Are your audiologists, physicians, and other clinical staff spending too much time on administrative tasks that could be handled differently?

Sometimes supporting your team’s well-being means addressing the systems and processes that make their jobs harder than they need to be.

And when employees feel supported, they’re better positioned to support one another and deliver the kind of patient experience your practice strives to provide.

For more ways to foster a supportive workplace, read our blog on how to Cultivate a Culture of Wellness.

Build a Practice That Doesn’t Depend on Running Yourself Ragged

It’s tempting to believe that the success of your practice depends on how much you’re personally willing to sacrifice.

But being a great leader doesn’t mean being the person who does everything, fixes everything, or works the longest hours. It means building a practice with the people, processes, and support needed to succeed over time.

The practices that are in it for the long haul aren’t necessarily led by people who sacrificed everything to keep them running. They’re led by people who found ways to sustain themselves, support their teams, and keep showing up year after year.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. And your practice needs you in it for the long run.

Taking care of yourself isn’t something to put off until the schedule slows down or the to-do list gets shorter. It’s part of the work of being a good leader, and it’s worth making time for.

Camille White, COPM, is the Senior Director of ENT Services at Audigy and Past President of the national organization ASCENT (Administrator Support Community for ENT). She works with ear, nose, and throat practices on operational strategy, business management, and growth.