LAUNCH 2026: Building Systems for Success
What an incredible weekend we had at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte this January! Seeing dental leaders from over 90 practices come together with such energy and commitment reminded me why I’m so proud to be part of this Dental Leadership Organization.
The Power of Shared Knowledge
You know what made this event truly special? It wasn’t just the venue—it was watching our panel members openly share what they’re doing in their practices. It wasn’t about preparing elaborate presentations. You just opened up about your experiences, your wins, and your challenges. And the inspiration that was created across the room was incredible.
I hope you can see the power of this group. By sharing that knowledge with each other, we all are elevated, our patient care is elevated, and our teams are going to continue to be elevated. It’s magical and is awesome to witness.
This is what sets us apart as a Dental Leadership Organization. We’re not keeping best practices locked away. We’re opening our playbooks to help each other succeed, moving from “doing our own thing” to “doing the best things.”
Three Pillars of Practice Leadership
The entire weekend centered on a principle that I believe is foundational to our success: “We do not rise to the level of our goals—we fall to the level of our systems.” Think about that for a moment. We all have big goals, but it’s the systems we build that get us there.
With this truth as our north star, we are working together on building three critical systems:
Our Habits Plan challenges you to evaluate your practice leadership habits and create your DLO habits improvement plan. This isn’t about vague aspirations—it’s about identifying the specific behaviors that either propel or hinder your practice’s success.
Our Annual Plan takes you through a comprehensive review of your 2025 performance and 2026 budget to set your annual growth goals. This exercise grounds your ambitions in data, helping you set targets that are both ambitious and achievable.
Q1 Rocks breaks those annual goals into quarterly action plans. By creating specific, measurable objectives for the first quarter, you leave with immediate clarity on what needs to happen this week, this month, and through March to stay on track.
I’m inspired by all the feedback and believe everyone is ready to crush all three this year! Keep up the good work with meaningful progress among all your teams.
The EOS Framework: Simplifying Success
A major theme of the weekend was our adoption of the Entrepreneurial Operating System across each practice. We spent time exploring how implementing consistent scorecards, weekly leadership meetings, and all-hands team meetings creates a common language throughout our organization.
Here’s a reminder of what I love about EOS: it’s incredibly simple for onboarding. When new team members join your practice, you can just give them the book “What the Heck is EOS?” It’s an easy read, and they’ll immediately understand what we’re talking about.
By all of us going all in on the same system, we’re not each reinventing the wheel. We can focus on execution instead of system design. And in our field where people come and go, having this clear, documented system keeps everyone aligned.
Full Throttle Forward
Since we were inspired to be in Charlotte, we talked about the race car theme—fueled by vision, driven by traction. One challenge that I want all of us to think about, moving forward, is tracking your vision. What’s the 10-year vision for your role in your practice? What about the three-year vision? What are your core values?
We have these defined for the regions, so a lot of this foundational work is already built. But I encourage each of you to continue working on that vision at the practice level. Think strategically about where you’re heading, not just how you’re operating today.
Celebrating a Record-Breaking December
I also want everyone in our community to take a moment to celebrate something extraordinary. December was an absolute blowout win for Lightwave—a record setter! Thank you all for running with the energy of our December “Full Throttle” competition.
An amazing 34 offices exceeded their December stretch goals. And a special congratulations to Midlothian Family Dentistry and Dr. Nikki Sparks, our LAUNCH Doctor of the Year!
This overall group success was the perfect way to set the tone for 2026. It’s proof that when our systems align with our ambition, remarkable results follow.
The Challenge Ahead
As we wrapped up the weekend, I left attendees with one final question that is relevant to all of us: “What difference will I make tomorrow?”
The answer to that question will unfold in practices across our community throughout 2026. Bring the positive energy and the power of our systems to your practice every day! You’re positioned to make 2026 a great year—not through wishful thinking, but through the power of systems that support sustainable growth.
As individuals, we can ask ourselves: Are we being consistent? Are we following through? Are we staying on the improvement track?
For the 90-plus practices who joined us in Charlotte, LAUNCH wasn’t just an event. It was a reminder that when we come together to share, learn, and grow, everyone wins—most importantly, the patients we serve.
Let’s make 2026 our best year ever. Let’s go!
— Justin Jory, CEO