The Leadership Shift Veterinary Medicine Desperately Needs
Me coming out of anesthesia and laughing for no reason.
“Veterinary medicine is at a crossroads—lead with heart, or watch more people walk away.”
Let’s talk about leadership in veterinary medicine. Specifically, let’s talk about how it needs to change.
Too often, leaders in our field feel stuck between two extremes. We think we have to choose between being strong and decisive or empathetic and people-focused—as if we can’t be both. Spoiler alert: That’s a false choice. Leadership isn’t about picking a side. It’s about finding the balance that helps people (and practices!) thrive.
I will never forget one of the hardest moments of my life. I was in the hospital, facing a life-altering medical situation—one that turned my life upside down in an instant. And, because I hadn’t yet learned to set healthy boundaries (a story for another time!), I was checking my email.
For a brief moment, I thought, Oh, maybe my boss is reaching out to check on me. But no. It was a copy of my employee statement, with a reminder to pay my bill. No text. No call. No “Hey, how are you holding up?” Just business as usual. And that moment? It hit me like a ton of bricks.
Not because of the money—but because it made one thing painfully clear: I wasn’t seen as a person. I was just another line item on the books.
That experience has stuck with me. Not as bitterness, but as a lesson in what leadership should never be. Because at the end of the day, veterinary medicine isn’t just about business—it’s about people. And when we forget to lead with heart, we fail the very teams we rely on.
So, how do we shift the way we lead in vet med? How do we ditch outdated leadership models and create teams that feel supported, valued, and inspired? Let’s dig in.
1. Lead Like a Human First
Great leadership starts with connection. If your team doesn’t trust you, nothing else matters. That means showing up as a real human—owning your mistakes, asking for input, and leading with vulnerability and authenticity. Your title doesn’t make you a leader—your relationships do.
2. Build a Culture of Psychological Safety
Veterinary medicine is tough. The emotional and mental load is real. If people don’t feel safe speaking up, making mistakes, or asking for help, they’re going to burn out. Fast. Great leaders cultivate workplaces where it’s okay to be human, where failure is seen as learning, and where support isn’t just a buzzword—it’s baked into how we operate.
3. Make Mental Health Non-Negotiable
We all know the stats. Stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue are rampant in our field. Leaders can’t afford to ignore mental health. That means normalizing conversations about stress, encouraging time off (and actually taking it yourself!), and creating systems that protect your team’s well-being—not just react when things fall apart.
4. Stay Curious & Keep Growing
The best leaders are always learning. Veterinary medicine is changing fast—telemedicine, AI, shifting client expectations—you name it. If we want to build thriving teams and businesses, we have to stay curious, embrace innovation, and keep adapting. Stagnation? Not an option.
5. Balance Business & Heart
Yes, veterinary practices are businesses. And yes, we need to make smart financial decisions. But here’s the thing: Profitable doesn’t have to mean cutthroat. Leaders who focus on people-first business strategies—fair pay, sustainable workloads, and ethical pricing—build successful, sustainable practices. People will show up and do their best work when they feel valued. Period.
The Bottom Line? Leadership Needs to Evolve.
Veterinary medicine is at a crossroads. We can keep leading the way it’s always been done (and watch more people burn out and walk away). Or we can embrace a new way of leading—one that’s human-centered, flexible, and built for the realities of modern vet med.
The future of our profession depends on leaders who show up, listen, and put people first. Let’s be those leaders. 💗 - Stephanie