Creating a Safe Work Dental Work Environment, Enhancing Patient Communication and Choosing the Right Leadership Style

One of the traits that separate great dentists from good Dentists are their abilities to communicate with patients and to lead a cohesive, happy dental team. Today, Art visits with Jonathan Bonanno who is an Industrial Organizational Psychologist and whose work involves helping dentists to communicate with their patients and also involves the importance of understanding employees needs, providing a psychologically safe and positive work environment. Art and Jonathan discuss what steps a Dentist can take to improve team cohesiveness and efficiency, why calling your team a “family” might not be the best way to refer to them, and how to determine if the “vibe” in your dental office and with your team is off, and how to fix it. Jonathan also explains how to create and promote a positive team culture and why it is important to recognize achievements.

Finally, Jonathan describes several different leadership styles and why there are good, or not so good such as autocratic and democratic leadership, Laissez-Faire leadership, and then two good leadership styles which are Transformational where we inspire and motivate and Servant leadership where we serve the needs of others.

About the Guests

Jonathan Bonanno

Industrial Organizational Psychologist

Jonathan Bonanno is a trailblazing organizational development executive, founder of ZIA, and the visionary behind The Chief Psycho. With a career rooted in psychology, leadership, and talent optimization, Jonathan has redefined what it means to create safe, high-performing cultures—especially in dentistry and healthcare. Known for his bold, no-BS approach and commitment to authenticity, Jonathan supports teams and leaders in unlocking their full potential, integrating psychodynamic insight with practical strategy. Whether he's coaching a DSO, leading a workshop, or hosting his podcast, Jonathan shows up with zeal, heart, and an unapologetic drive to disrupt the norm.

About the Host

Art Wiederman, CPA

Director of Dental Practices

Art specializes in serving dental practices. He oversees a variety of services including accounting, tax compliance and planning, financial planning, retirement planning, and financial practice management consulting. Art’s expertise is not only in taxation issues for dentists, but also in his knowledge of dental practice metrics and benchmarks. Art has the ability to look at a dentist’s statements and identify profit holes in their practice.