Drama in an Endodontic Practice – A Story

David Stamation, Executive Life Coach

The cost of avoiding leadership is always higher than the discomfort of stepping into it.

Working closely with endodontists, I see how drama drains energy, erodes trust, and drives away top talent. Left unchecked, it slows everything down. Let me show you how easily it happens—and what to do about it.

A Morning That Went Off the Rails

By 9:15 a.m., the day was already slipping.

At the front desk, Maria slammed the phone down after another call about insurance.

“If the clinical team gave me better notes, I wouldn’t be in this mess,” she muttered.

Her coworker rolled her eyes. “She’s always blaming us.”

In the back, two assistants argued over who would prep the operatory for an emergency patient. “I did it last time,” one snapped. The other sighed and dragged her feet.

Dr. Harris, the endodontist, barked from his operatory:

“Where’s the next file? We’re already ten minutes behind!”

Half his frustration was with the team, half with himself for double-booking.

Down the hall, the associate endodontist sat stewing—tired of being handed overflow cases without notice, debating whether to speak up or let resentment fester.

By midmorning, the whole office felt tense and drained. Patients sensed the smiles at check-in looked forced, and the waiting room air felt heavy.

Sound familiar? This could be any Tuesday in a busy practice.

What Drama Reveals

This is how drama spreads. It rarely starts with one person. It seeps through the system—front office, back office, doctor, associate—pulling down energy and trust. And without energy and trust you have no way of cultivating loyalty, the backbone of a successful practice.

One doctor admitted they joined the gossip because it felt easier than stepping up and stopping it. Deep down, they feared being seen as the “bad guy” that shows up as a tape playing with self-talk, “I want to be liked.”

But here’s the truth: drama is a mirror. It reflects cracks in the system—unclear expectations, weak communication, unspoken frustrations, and inconsistent follow-through. Ignore those cracks and stress compounds. Address them, and drama becomes fuel for clarity and growth.

Here’s What I Discovered

Team members want leadership. They want guidance, consistency, and ongoing refreshers that keep the culture fresh and alive.

In fact, I’ve found these matter more than hourly pay or bonuses—yes, more than money.

When there’s an absence of leadership from the practice owner, team members stop feeling seen and heard. That lack of connection drains morale faster than any compensation issue ever could.

So, I often advise practice owners to worry less about pay structures and focus more on genuine engagement—helping each team member feel valued, guided, and included.

When the practice owner steps back from leadership, others naturally step in to fill the void. The problem is, they each try to lead in the area they feel most confident or capable—not the whole practice, just their small piece of it. Multiply that by several self-appointed “mini leaders,” and you have confusion, friction, and eventually, chaos.

Too many cooks in the kitchen. People start looking at job openings down the street – the exact opposite of loyalty.

In some cases, this leadership gap opens the door to deeper issues—like embezzlement. When too much responsibility is handed off without oversight, a small percentage of employees will take advantage.

The cost of avoiding leadership is always higher than the discomfort of stepping into it.

How Coaching Turns Drama into Clarity

Endo Executive Coaching understands these challenges and how to turn them around.

With the right tools, you can move beyond “nice guy/gal syndrome,” reset your culture, and replace recurring tension with flow.

If you’ve tried to make changes before but stalled, coaching helps you look honestly at unhelpful patterns and reprogram what no longer serves you. Together, we’ll tackle the emotional underpinnings of choices and actions, the real source of lasting change.

Takeaway: Drama isn’t just noise. It’s feedback. When you use it intentionally, it becomes the path to a healthier, more efficient team.

Your Next Step

If your practice struggles with retention issues, gossip, tension, or recurring stress, personal development mentorship provides a safe space to face it head-on. Together, we’ll uncover the patterns draining energy and rebuild a culture that reflects your values.

You’ll gain practical strategies to cut gossip, strengthen leadership, and clarify culture—without the fear of being labeled the “bad guy” or “bad gal.” You’ll also learn how to use my client-favorite tool, Have the Back of the Practice, to accelerate decisions and actions.

It’s not about blame. It’s about creating lasting change.

Take the next step today.

Invest in your practice, your team, and yourself. Turn drama into insight, tension into trust, and disruption into growth.

More reading: If your practice struggles with chaos, continue with this series: Exploring Conflict and Chaos.