FILLING THE GLASS: A JOURNEY OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT

By Stephenie Goddard

We all know some who view the proverbial glass as half empty and others who view it as half full. More inspiring to me are those who see it and ask: “What can we do to fill this up?”

It was Rob Grice, fondly remembered as the late COO of Glidewell, who first recruited me to join the lab as VP of Human Resources. While intrigued by his intensely motivational outlook and the company’s close-knit culture, I was also drawn to the unique challenges that the position posed.

In 2006, Glidewell was home to some 1,100 dental technicians and support staff still operating under a small-scale, familybased philosophy. My mandate was to maintain the sense of camaraderie that had served the enterprise for more than three decades while implementing new structures and processes that would spur explosive growth in line with an ambitious corporate strategy. With my background in organizational development, executive leadership, strategy, and business expansion, this pursuit scratched all the right itches.

Never could I have imagined that, 16 years later, Jim Glidewell, the company’s tireless founder and owner, would ask me to serve as his CEO.

A daunting prospect, to say the least.

Logically, I didn’t feel wholly unprepared. My escalating responsibilities over the years had spanned corporate education, business operations, product development, regulatory affairs, sales, customer experience, resource planning, innovation, and even information technology divisions. But leadership is less about functional or institutional knowledge, and more about the less tangible ability to inspire and motivate individual team members toward a common cause.

With an organization as sprawling, diverse, and fast-changing as Glidewell, could I possibly be up to the challenge?

After a little more than a year, I suppose the jury is still out. Then, as now, I opted to give more credence to Jim’s faith than my own self-doubt. How many times in life do we question our own readiness, only to realize that some situations must be faced regardless?

Like graduation, marriage, or motherhood, it was again time to stretch beyond my comfort zone. That’s often the only path to growth. So what advice could I give myself? What core principles might serve as navigational beacons? While far from a dogmatic system, I’ve relied to a great extent on the following advice.

Be Curious

The more we learn, the more we realize what we don’t know. When others seek our knowledge, we should share it freely. At all other times, we should seek it ourselves. I’m constantly asking questions and requesting feedback—anonymously, where I feel it necessary to ensure candid responses. Support is wonderful, but I find it even more helpful to engage detractors. Accolades are lovely, but the path to improvement, as we all know, is riddled with blind spots and paved with mistakes. How we explore and overcome them is more telling than how often we might manage to avoid them.

Remain Humble

I’m not referring to humility born from insecurities. That’s easy. I mean being realistic when it comes to acknowledging our own limitations. With a service mindset, it’s easy to surrender to protective instincts and an accompanying sense of personal responsibility to those underwings. So I have to remind myself to accept and embrace my reliance on others. Resist the temptation to swoop to the rescue with answers or take matters into your own hands. Those are hallmarks of the accidental diminisher. As leaders, we’re far more valuable when we take the extra time to invest in another’s growth and be a multiplier instead.

Practice Empathy

In working with others, strive to see the world through their

eyes. Listen more than you speak. I don’t have to agree with a viewpoint to respect it. The better I understand it, the more likely I’ll be to learn something or offer useful guidance. This includes having empathy for myself—again, remembering to forgive my own limitations. There’s a difference between selfreflection and self-criticism. Give yourself permission to be imperfect and vulnerable. It’s a great way to foster the human connection that ultimately breeds trust.

Embrace Obstacles

As fortunate and rewarding as my life has been, I’ve not been immune to hardship. But I’ve learned not to fear it. Hardships have taught me how to persevere and negotiate conflict. To stand up for my principles and advocate when necessary. They’ve taught me that life is in constant motion, and to trust that, for every storm, there remains a sunrise on a future horizon.

Seek to Inspire

Most goals are more readily achieved with a support network. For me, inspiration is a mix of vision, accountability, and collaboration. For vision, I try to focus on the big picture, or “why,” while inviting others to fill in the details. Accountability starts with ensuring mutual agreement and being willing to admit when I’m wrong. Collaboration, of course, requires me to resist providing solutions—which can often feel more expedient—and instead present opportunities for others to step forward. This can be hard when others are looking to you to have all the answers, but I don’t want people following only as a matter of station. Commitment is more valuable than compliance. When team members are involved in setting the direction, they can’t help but take pride and ownership in pursuing it.

Demand Integrity

It hopefully goes without saying, but do what you say you’re going to do! The fastest way to build trust is to make a promise and follow through with it. Conversely, the fastest way to lose trust is to fail to live up to your own word. Plans will change. Twists and turns and pitfalls will appear. Go ahead and redirect as needed. But take the time to explain to the team the consequences of these unexpected scenarios, and involve them as you seek to devise an alternative strategy.

Be Mindful

I consider mindfulness the practice of being fully present. The

fast-paced, immediate nature of today’s world has a tendency to limit our problem-solving capabilities, creativity, and ability to establish meaningful relationships. With mindful habits and activities, we can help develop our emotional intelligence, cognitive capacities, self-awareness, awareness of others, and critical thinking.

Pay it Forward

Paying it forward can be a small act that carries immense significance—even if it goes unrealized for many years. We have all been aided in our careers by someone who expected nothing in return. This selflessness creates a ripple effect of kindness, generosity, and compassion. I haven’t made it to where I am today without a lot of people providing guidance, support, feedback, and sometimes just a simple shoulder to lean on. In lifting up others, we also uplift ourselves. One of the key reasons I created the “Guiding Leaders” program was, in essence, to pay it forward. To provide a safe space for female dentists to gain and build upon their business acumen so that they, too, can build great teams and successful companies. To inspire a community of women who would, in turn, help others achieve their fullest potential. And to create a network of exciting new business opportunities for female clinicians.

Assessing the Results

Has my self-advice proven helpful? Given the current economic environment, Glidewell’s steady resilience and continued growth have been both humbling and gratifying. My contribution to this is something I’ll leave for others to define. I know I’ve tried to structure our teams in a way that builds camaraderie while setting a tone for healthy debate. I know that, as companies and as people, we must continue to innovate—willing to be our own disruptors. And I continue to believe that maximizing the customer experience, coupled with an earnest investment in supporting and celebrating our employees, is the best way to empower any organization.

Whether at Glidewell or interacting with industry peers, what continues to matter most to me in the professional arena is fostering an atmosphere of hope and achievement. Seeking the ideal solution to a particular problem is energizing, but the true journey is still about bettering myself and the team around me. I try to have fun every day by pointing out the humor to be found in various situations, and by assisting wherever I can in the pursuit of individual and collective personal development. Happiness in even the most engaging environment hinges greatly on mutual respect and a sense of fulfillment. When my time comes to an end, I hope I’ll have set an example not just of positivity, but of perpetual growth.

About the Author

Stephenie Goddard is the CEO of Glidewell, widely recognized as America’s largest and most innovative dental laboratory. Her multidisciplinary background includes extensive experience with organizational development and the implementation of advanced learning initiatives such as the “Guiding Leaders” program for women dentists throughout the U.S. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and postgraduate of San Jose State University, she remains committed to helping others realize their full potential.