Most dentists didn’t get into this field to manage people. Yet here you are, juggling patients, payroll, treatment planning, and team dynamics… while also trying to grow. Burnout creeps in, especially when it feels like you have to control everything to keep things from falling apart.
What if the answer isn’t to grip tighter, but to let go?
Inspired by Mel Robbins’ Let Them Theory, we’ve been helping our clients step into a new kind of leadership. One that creates more time, more trust, and more team accountability. And it’s working. Practices are growing faster and doctors are breathing easier.
Here’s how it works.
1. Let Them Be Who They Are (And Let That Tell You What to Do)
Your team’s behavior is data.
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If a front office team member chronically shows up late, that’s information.
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If a patient cancels last minute every other week, that’s information.
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If an associate ignores feedback repeatedly, that’s information.
You don’t need to control people, you need to observe patterns, set clear standards, and then decide what happens next.
Let them show you who they are. Then lead accordingly.
In one of our client offices, the doctor finally enforced a cancellation policy. They let habitual no-show patients leave and filled the schedule with better-fit patients. Production jumped, stress dropped, and the front office finally had breathing room.
2. Let Go of Micromanaging (So Real Leadership Can Begin)
Micromanaging isn’t leadership, it’s fear. When you try to do everything yourself, you're not empowering your team. You're just bottlenecking the practice.
Here’s a better approach:
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Let your office manager run the team meeting without your script.
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Let your hygienist own their schedule within the boundaries of your expectations.
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Let your lead assistant handle ordering after they’ve been trained properly.
It’s not a free-for-all. It’s about giving autonomy within a defined structure.
When we coach practices, we focus first on setting clear expectations. Once the “rules of the game” are defined, team members thrive. One of our practices grew by $300K in less than a year, not because the doctor worked harder, but because the team finally knew how to take ownership.
3. Let Go to Grow
Here’s the truth: your practice will either outgrow you or grow because of you.
If you’re the one holding every ball in the air, the growth will stall. Guaranteed.
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Let your leadership team run with the next initiative.
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Let go of the toxic team member you’ve been tolerating.
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Let go of trying to force change in people who’ve already shown you they aren’t interested in it.
We’ve had countless doctors finally make a tough call, like replacing a poor-fit associate or letting go of a front office team member who didn’t align with the culture. Every time? Better results. More peace. Stronger growth.
One practice grew from $1.9M to $2.6M in 12 months, after the doctor let go of trying to be everywhere at once.
How to Use “Let Them” In Your Practice This Week
Here are two questions you can ask yourself today:
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Who are you trying to control or fix? What if you stopped and focused on standards instead?
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Where are you holding on too tightly? What’s one thing you could delegate (with structure) this week?
At Dental A Team, we help practices grow by helping leaders evolve. When the doctor grows, the team grows. And when the team grows, the numbers follow.
Let us help you stop doing it all and start leading like a CEO.
Want to Learn More?
Schedule a Complimentary Practice Assessment call! We’ll identify growth opportunities, leadership gaps, and simple next steps for your practice.
Let’s build your transformation story.
For more tips, check out our podcast.
Last updated: September 2025
Written by Jacintha Ham, Dental A Team