Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like everything is against you?
Your team is bickering, your schedule is falling apart, patients are canceling, and you’re wondering if you made a huge mistake becoming a practice owner in the first place.
Here’s the truth: running a dental practice will never be perfect. But there’s one mindset shift that can change how your practice feels — not in a year, not after another CE course, but starting tomorrow.
It’s the shift from victim mindset to CEO mindset.
This single decision changes how you see your role, your team, and your entire practice. And once you make it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
The Default Mindset Trap (aka The Victim Mindset)
Most of us start here — especially women dentists. It’s easy to feel like the world is happening to you.
- “My staff just won’t listen.”
- “Patients are so unreliable.”
- “The market is terrible right now.”
Sound familiar?
That’s the victim mindset. It’s when you believe the problem is always “out there” — your team, your patients, your circumstances. And when you live in that space, you feel frustrated, resentful, and powerless.
The danger? You end up waiting for everyone else to change instead of stepping into the leadership your practice actually needs.
Here’s the kicker: it’s not that you’re wrong. Your team might be underperforming. Patients can be difficult. The market is competitive. But staying in victim mode means you give away your power to fix it.
The good news? There’s another way — the CEO mindset. And once you make that shift, the whole practice feels different.
The CEO Mindset
The opposite of victim thinking is what I call the CEO mindset. It’s when you stop waiting for everyone else to behave differently and start asking: “What’s in my control, and how do I lead from here?”
This shift doesn’t mean you have to become cold, bossy, or a drill sergeant. In fact, it’s the opposite. Stepping into a CEO mindset makes you calmer, more confident, and more respected — because you’re no longer reacting to everyone else, you’re leading the way.
Here’s what the difference looks like in real life:
Victim Mindset vs. CEO Mindset in Dental Practice Ownership
| Situation | Victim Mindset (Disempowered) | CEO Mindset (Empowered) |
| Team isn’t following systems | “My staff just won’t listen. They’re impossible to manage.” | “I need to clarify expectations, train better, and hold people accountable consistently.” |
| Patient cancels last minute | “Patients are so unreliable. They don’t respect my time.” | “What can we do to improve our reminder system, educate patients on value, or set firmer policies?” |
| Revenue is flat | “The market is tough. There just aren’t enough patients.” | “I can review our patient experience, retention, and marketing strategy to find opportunities to grow.” |
| Staff conflict or gossip | “They’re so immature. I shouldn’t have to deal with this.” | “As the leader, I set the tone for culture. I can address it directly and model the behavior I expect.” |
| Feeling overwhelmed | “I have to do everything myself. No one helps me.” | “I choose what gets my time. I can delegate, create systems, and focus on my highest priorities.” |
The shift might look small on paper — just different words, different thoughts — but the impact is massive. When you think like a CEO, you stop feeling like you’re drowning, and you start building the practice (and life) you actually want.
My Turning Point
I’ll be honest: for a long time, I thought my biggest problem was my team.
I truly believed they were just bad employees — a bunch of gossips who didn’t want to do the jobs they were being paid for. Every day felt like a new round of tattling, eye-rolling, and drama. I used to think, “Maybe I should just fire everyone and start over.”
And the truth is, it wasn’t fun anymore. I was exhausted, frustrated, and honestly, ready to quit.
Then one night, sitting at a family dinner, my brother-in-law handed me a book. It was short, simple, and for some reason, I devoured it. Something clicked.
The book made me realize the problem wasn’t my team. The problem was me. I wasn’t leading anyone — I was just hoping things would work out. And hope isn’t a leadership strategy.
That was my rock-bottom moment. I had to stop pointing fingers and start owning the fact that I set the tone for my practice.
So I made the shift.
It didn’t happen overnight, but it started with small, simple changes. The first thing we tackled was communication — because honestly, it was our biggest struggle. We set clear communication rules. Then we built systems. And little by little, the culture changed.
The crazy part? The difference in energy was almost immediate. Patients noticed it and commented on how good the office felt. My team started working together instead of against each other. And for the first time in a long time, work was fun.
That’s the power of stepping into the CEO mindset. It doesn’t just change you — it changes everything around you.
How to Make the Shift Overnight
So how do you actually make this shift? The good news is you don’t need to read a dozen books or spend months in therapy. You can start today with three simple steps:
1. Catch Yourself in the Blame Game
The next time you hear yourself saying, “If only my staff would…” or “Patients never…”, stop and ask:
👉 “What part of this is within my control?”
That one question changes the energy immediately. Instead of being stuck in frustration, you put yourself back in the driver’s seat.
2. Change Your Language
The words you use matter. Victim mindset language sounds like:
- “They should…”
- “They never…”
- “Why don’t they…”
CEO mindset language flips it to:
- “I will clarify…”
- “I can create a system for…”
- “I choose to…”
Start catching yourself in those tiny language shifts. They train your brain to see yourself as the leader — not the victim.
3. Take One Micro-Action Today
Don’t try to fix everything at once. Choose one thing today that shows up as CEO leadership. Examples:
- Begin your morning huddle with clarity and direction.
- Celebrate one team win out loud.
- Set one new boundary that protects your time or energy.
These tiny shifts stack up quickly. Your team will feel it, your patients will feel it, and most importantly — you will feel it.
Stepping into the CEO mindset doesn’t mean your practice suddenly becomes perfect. But it does mean you stop spinning your wheels waiting for everyone else to change. You start creating the results you want — and that changes everything.
What Happens When You Shift
When you step into the CEO mindset, the results are almost immediate:
- For you: You feel calmer, more confident, and less reactive. Instead of walking into the office bracing for drama, you walk in knowing you’re in control of the tone.
- For your team: They sense the shift. People step up when they know what’s expected and see you leading with clarity. Drama dies down, motivation goes up.
- For your patients: The vibe of your practice changes. Patients feel the difference when your team is aligned and happy. They trust you more, they refer more, and they stay loyal.
Over time, this single mindset shift creates a ripple effect: a stronger team, smoother growth, and way less stress for you.
And here’s the best part — it doesn’t take years. It starts the moment you decide: “I create the culture. I create the results. I’m the CEO here.”
Your Next Step
The practice you want isn’t somewhere out there in the future. It’s already within your reach — and it starts with the way you think.
Shifting from victim mindset to CEO mindset is the fastest way to transform your practice. When you take ownership, everything else starts to fall into place.
So here’s my challenge to you: tomorrow, walk into your practice with CEO energy. Speak like a CEO. Act like a CEO. And watch how quickly things begin to shift.
💡 If you’re ready to go deeper and learn the exact tools and strategies to lead with confidence, build a drama-free team, and actually enjoy practice ownership again:
- 👉 Join us in the Her Dental Journey Success Skool group — you’ll find community, support, and more practical tools.
- 👉 Or take the next step with the Dental Diva Method — my signature program to help women dentists build the practice (and life) they dreamed of when they started.
You don’t need to do it alone. And you definitely don’t need to stay stuck in victim mode. The CEO version of you is already here — let’s bring her out.
