Dentaltown September 2017 - 75

Women

in Dentistry

by Julie Charlestein
Julie Charlestein is president, CEO and a fourth-generation
leader at Premier Dental Products Co., which develops,
manufactures and distributes innovative consumables to
dental professionals worldwide. In her role at Premier, she
has been named among the Top 25 Most Influential Women
in Dentistry.

A Philadelphia native, Charlestein attended Emory University
for her undergraduate studies and Temple University for
graduate work. She is an honorary member of Alpha Omega
Dental fraternity and sat on the board of directors of the
Dental Trade Alliance, where she chaired the government
relations committee.

.................................

"Be Silly. Be Honest. Be Kind."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
.................................
Probably not the words that you would
associate with CEOs and business leaders.
But why not? Shouldn't we be who we truly
are? That's what my greatest mentor-my
grandfather-taught me. His exact words:
"Remember who you are."
When I was younger, I thought the
phrase was meant literally-that as a prepared
response to any potential "stranger danger,"
I should know my name, address and phone
number. Obviously, applicable to a 6-yearold! But as a CEO and as an adult, I realize
now that his advice is so much more. For
me, it's about authenticity-revealing and
reflecting your genuine self.
At heart, I am silly, so I don't try to hide
that. At meetings, I'll be the one who tells
a ridiculous story. I also try to improvise;
instead of a traditional meeting or lunch, I'll
organize interactive activities. A favorite is
getting a department together and playing
"two truths and a lie." Silly, yes-but it
absolutely creates a bond and a connection
among the team.
And, yes, I curse a lot. This is who I am,
and it's real, and it's relatable, and it's honest.

Honesty
Honesty and transparency are buzz words
you hear a lot in reference to relationships, but
I think of them a bit differently in business.
I equate them to detail and action. For me,
detail is transparency.

It often comes down to the famed "bullet
list": What do we need to get done, and how
are we going to do it? Even now as a CEO,
I'm crazed about keeping action items and
detailed meeting notes. I'm the one who,
postmeeting, circulates actions and deadlines.
Honesty and transparency: "Here is
what we discussed. Here is what I expect,
and this is when I expect it."

Kindness
Kindness is selfishness. It may seem
counterintuitive, but in business this notion is
imperative: Kindness to your employees and
partners is always (or at least should always)
be self-explanatory and heavily utilized.
Kindness to yourself is something that
is often overlooked. As much as I'd like
to quantify "kindness to self " in the form
of a spa day or a piece of jewelry, I don't.
I learned from a mentor that kindness in
terms of selfishness is sharing-sharing
the burden. In leadership positions, there's
always a lot that you're dealing with,
and most often dealing with it alone. It's
critical to surround yourself with a core
group of team members with whom you
will share your burdens. It is a discipline
to share that weight-but it is in fact a
luxury. A luxury, a gift, and ultimately
a responsibility to the organization, in
that you as a leader have a balanced and
thoughtful view. ■

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown September 2017
