Summary
- Playing it safe is actually the riskiest move for a private practice.
- Copying competitors leads to becoming a commodity and losing relevance.
- Following others feels safe but prevents real differentiation.
- Winning requires a clear, independent vision of what “better” looks like.
- You must trust your instincts and make your own decisions.
- No one else can decide for your practice without owning it.
- Impact and growth require leadership, not imitation.
- Difficult and unpopular decisions are part of playing to win.
Playing it safe is the riskiest strategy you can take with your business. And it can be very tempting to play safe because, if you are a private practice owner, you’ve probably taken out the largest investment you’ve ever had to make. Every day can seem like a massive threat. So it’s very tempting to play safe, to see what other people are doing with their practice, and copy and follow the leader.
That is a surefire way to become a commodity, to become unnecessary, and therefore it’s the riskiest strategy you can take. So don’t play to play safe. Don’t play to not shake the boat. Play to win.
Have a vision that is different from what other people are doing. Listen to your gut. Don’t try to mimic other people because they’re going to be better at being them than you ever will be at being them.
What is the vision of better that you have for other people? What’s the change in the market that you see? Start to trust that. Start to make decisions for yourself, and realize that no one can make the decision for you. If they were making the decision for you, they would be owning your practice.
You are not here to play safe. You’re not here to become another commodity. You’re here to make a difference. You’re here to make an impact. And that’s going to require that you play to win, that you choose decisions, that you make decisions on your own, and not follow someone else’s guidance the whole way through.
At some point, you’re going to have to step up and be a leader and make decisions that are difficult, that aren’t popular, that people will criticize you for. But that’s part of it, and that’s how you play to win.
So my challenge is for you to make decisions.