{"id":21456,"date":"2025-05-01T15:24:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T19:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/?page_id=21456"},"modified":"2025-11-04T10:17:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T15:17:03","slug":"mda-journal-editorial","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/mda-journal\/current-journal-issue\/mda-journal-editorial\/","title":{"rendered":"MDA Journal Editorial"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1698696973333{margin-top: -40px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #009ba7 !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;white-text&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>MDA Journal Editorial<\/h1>\n<p><nav  aria-label=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BreadcrumbList\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item active\" aria-current=\"page\" itemprop=\"itemListElement\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ListItem\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Home<\/span><meta itemprop=\"position\" content=\"1\"><\/li><\/ol><\/nav>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>What Doesn\u2019t Kill You, Makes You Stronger<\/h2>\n<p>By Michelle C. Dziurgot, DDS<br \/>\nEditor-in-Chief<\/p>\n<p>Lightning does not strike twice, or does it? Imagine leaving your office on a rainy night without any inkling of what would ensue in the next few weeks. Receiving that unfortunate text from DTE that your office power is out, then receiving continuous updates akin to tsunami waves rolling in, over and over, hitting the shore, estimating when power would be restored. Then, two days later, receiving the \u201call-clear\u201d text. But it was not an all-clear, but instead an all-out power surge with destruction of everything not attached to a surge protector. This has been my life since August 2025.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761595737716{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]As a dedicated member dentist of the Michigan Dental Association, I have paid into property insurance through MDA Insurance since opening my original Shelby Twp location in 2004. Never a claim at that office in more than 20 years. Then, five months into my new Washington Township office, the power has gone out three times, with the fourth time leading to office closure. Due to a direct lightning strike on the building next door, tons of damage occurred in my building. From HVAC, the elevator, overhead lights \u2014 including dental and emergency lights \u2014 plus dental chairs and computers, the result was that patient care had to be canceled and rescheduled. Most GFI\u2019s had fire damage and had to be replaced. Thank goodness business interruption insurance came to my rescue by providing payment of scheduled procedures after a 24-hour waiting period (a good reason to have hard copies of your schedule for times such as these). I had proof of what procedures were scheduled on the canceled days, along with their monetary value.<\/p>\n<p>My only way to contact patients to inform them of my office closure was through the Weave app on my cell phone. There was no remoting into my office computer until my electrician and computer tech guy were able to get the server back online. We lost most of our printers, and trying to find replacements for these workhorses to be able to use the toner just recently replaced when we moved was not an easy task. Thank goodness for refurbished printers from Amazon. And let us not forget the kitchen fridge. I loved it when my hygienist asked if I was making ice cubes \u2014 nope, the fridge fried and had to be replaced. All my personal lunch items and employee snacks had to be tossed. This then led to waiting for two fridge deliveries from Home Depot \u2014 on the first delivery the installers stripped the handles.<\/p>\n<p>While waiting for Henry Schein to repair our Cerec miller, not being able to make in-office crowns added to my overhead. One of our sterilizers required a board replacement, and the other decided it needed a water intake valve replacement. Our ADT alarm board required a physical tech to come in and reprogram it. I now also highly recommend surge protectors installed at your fuse boxes. Yes, the expense is worth it!<\/p>\n<p>I spoke with the credit union manager on the floor beneath my suite and she was surprised I was unaware that power outages occur all the time. I asked my landlord to install a generator, but I was denied. I marched down to the township supervisor to question why the power goes out along this small strip of land on Van Dyke so regularly. I was informed that property to install a substation \u201cis being looked into\u201d and that all developers were encouraged to install generators in all their buildings.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;24476&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; img_link_target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761595604283{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221; title=&#8221;\u2014 advertisement \u2014&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/www.mdaprograms.com\/mda-insurance-programs\/liability-property\/workers-comp\/&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;25px&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23460&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; img_link_target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761595658335{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221; title=&#8221;\u2014 advertisement \u2014&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/www.doeren.com&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Yes, we all know the old adage: What does not kill you makes you stronger. Well, at this point I should be benching 300 pounds! But my intention in relaying all of this to you is not to vent, but to show you the importance of property and business interruption insurance (thank you, MDA Insurance).<\/p>\n<p>Word to the wise: Review your policies. Know what is included. Take photos and videos of all damage. Make copies of all receipts for repairs and purchases of new equipment. Fight for your payments to be made in a timely fashion. Keep advocating for yourself until all that was destroyed is made whole again.<br \/>\nAnd keep your fingers crossed that lightning does not strike twice!<\/p>\n<p>Contact Dr. Dziurgot at <a href=\"mailto:mcd@mcdentalcare.com\">mcd@mcdentalcare.com<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Leaders: To Be or Not to Be?<\/h2>\n<p>By William R. Chase, DDS, MAOM<br \/>\nFormer MDA president<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cTo be or not to be, that is the question.\u201d<\/em> Most of us recognize this famous line from Shakespeare\u2019s play, <em>Hamlet<\/em>. When the 16th-century playwright wrote the legendary declaration for his main character, Prince Hamlet, in Act 3, Scene 1, he was referencing the protagonist\u2019s personal dilemma of either continuing to suffer human existence or accepting the unknown of death \u2014 more simply put, to either live or to die.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1758657289787{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Coincidentally, this highly recognized declaration may also relate to the \u201cchoices\u201d we have <em>to be or not to be<\/em> efficacious leaders. All of us, at one time or another have been asked to lead. When we receive such a request, we have a personal choice to make: to be a good leader or to be a not-so-good leader.<\/p>\n<p>Leadership guru John Maxwell asks in his book, <em>The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential<\/em>, whether you are the type of leader people want to follow, or have to follow?<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Taking this point one step further, Barbara Kellerman, in her book, <em>BAD Leadership<\/em>, explores the reasons why some leaders choose to be not-so-good leaders, choosing a path of corruption, graft, and\/or inhumane treatment of others when leading.<sup>2<\/sup> She delves into the various reasons why many infamous figures continued to attract loyal followers throughout their destructive reign. She cites reprehensible leaders like Saddam Hussein, Stalin, Hitler, among others, in her manuscript.<\/p>\n<p>Over my many years of watching leaders come and go, my intent here is to focus on what I consider are the more-effective leadership qualities in a good leader. I believe they are:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23460&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; img_link_target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1758656770784{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221; title=&#8221;\u2014 advertisement \u2014&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/www.doeren.com&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1758657575184{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]\u2022 Having a positive influence on others.<br \/>\n\u2022 The ability to be a role model.<br \/>\n\u2022 Competency, charisma, assertiveness.<br \/>\n\u2022 The ability to resolve conflicts.<\/p>\n<p>I list them above in no particular order of importance. But let\u2019s begin with influence. Effective leaders emit influence naturally. This is what intrigues and draws followers to them. Devotees admire influential leaders primarily because they feel it will have a positive effect on their own character, development, and behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Another characteristic of effective leadership is the skill to be a role model. True leaders are role models because they are, by nature, transformational. They have a unique ability to impact their followers with a positive impression, an impression that will arouse innate leadership reserves within others.<\/p>\n<p>Effective leaders are also competent. Don\u2019t we all look to leaders who project self-assurance? We want someone at the helm of the ship who knows what they are doing, and readily displays that to followers. Competence breeds influence and also authority.<\/p>\n<p>Effective leaders are charismatic. We seek empathetic, self-assured, but not arrogant leaders, who convey that trait effortlessly to people.<br \/>\nWe want our leaders to be assertive, to take command of situations so we don\u2019t have to. Assertiveness conveys a spirit of strength, knowing what to do, when to do it, in all different types of situations. We want leaders who do not equivocate.<\/p>\n<p>Effective leaders, I believe, also have an instinctive ability to resolve conflicts. We want a leader who respects the opinions of all their followers. Everyone has the right to their own actions and opinion, if they are not meant to hurt others. If those action and opinions are inappropriate, we expect an effective leader to initiate a dialogue, not a debate, to resolve the issue.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]In his book, <em>Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together<\/em>, author William Isaacs writes, \u201cTo listen respectfully to others, to cultivate and speak your own voice, to suspend your opinions about others \u2014 these bring out the intelligence that lives in the very center of ourselves \u2014 the intelligence that exists when we are alert to possibilities around us and thinking freshly.\u201d<sup>3<\/sup> Isn\u2019t that what we want today in our leaders?<\/p>\n<p>All of the characteristics listed above, I believe, are possessed by people who have a very high EI score, or emotional intelligence. They are trailblazers who are self-aware, have the ability to self-regulate, are motivated, possess a considerable capacity for empathy, and possess effective social skills.<\/p>\n<p>With all the emphasis placed on the topic of \u201cleadership\u201d lately at the Michigan Dental Association, I am truly convinced that organized dentistry is in great and secure hands for decades to come. This emphasis on leadership is important and will pay great dividends for our association and our members alike.<\/p>\n<p>It takes a great deal of persistence and focus to be a credible and respected leader and to sustain the above characteristics with ease. Incidentally, if you do read Shakespeare\u2019s revenge tragedy <em>Hamlet<\/em>, you\u2019ll discover that Prince Hamlet possessed all of the above-mentioned qualities.<\/p>\n<p>Is that the type of leader you want to be \u2026 or not to be? That is the real question!<\/p>\n<p><em>Dr. Chase is a former MDA editor and MDA president and holds a master\u2019s degree in organizational management. Retired from dental practice, he now resides in California. Contact him at <a href=\"mailto:frndshp97@aol.com\">frndshp97@aol.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>References<\/strong><br \/>\n1. Maxwell, John C., The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential, Nelson Business 2011, pages 3-6.<br \/>\n2. Kellerman, B. Bad Leadership, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass. 2002.<br \/>\n3. Isaacs, W. Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, Currency Publishers 1999, page 47.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;24067&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; img_link_target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1758657528035{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221; title=&#8221;\u2014 advertisement \u2014&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/compasscryo.com\/mda\/&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column][vc_cta h2=&#8221;Apply Now to LEAD&#8221; style=&#8221;outline&#8221; color=&#8221;turquoise&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The MDA\u2019s Leadership Exploration And Development Program is now taking applications for its 2026 class. This excellent program has already produced many new leaders for the MDA, a number of whom sit on the MDA Board and on MDA committees. I, myself, am a LEAD program graduate and can wholeheartedly recommend it to you. For more information on this exciting opportunity to lead, visit michigandental.org\/LEAD, or email <a href=\"mailto:akanazeh@michigandental.org\">Angie Kanazeh<\/a>, MDA director of membership.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u2014 MCD<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_cta][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1698696973333{margin-top: -40px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #009ba7 !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;white-text&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] MDA Journal Editorial [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] What Doesn\u2019t Kill You, Makes You Stronger By Michelle C. Dziurgot, DDS Editor-in-Chief Lightning does not strike twice, or does it? Imagine leaving your office on a rainy night without any inkling of what would ensue in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":21409,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-template-full-width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","protect_children":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-21456","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2025-11-17 13:44:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21456"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24626,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21456\/revisions\/24626"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}