QUARTERLY BEAT / DECEMBER 2025
FIXING FRACTURED LEADERSHIP How can leadership mismatches in veterinary practices be avoided? It starts when leaders know themselves and each other before they are thrust into situations where they need to co-lead. Building cohesive leadership teams requires the following skills and strategies: APPRECIATE PERSPECTIVES When leaders communicate with each other, they should know the role that perception plays in interactions. They must understand their own perspectives, realizing that the person with whom they are communicating also has their own perspectives. During a successful interaction, both individuals attempt to understand the viewpoints of each other, seeking common ground. BUILD TRUST The kind of trust that is necessary to build a cohesive leadership team is vulnerability-based trust. It forms when each person believes that the other’s intentions are fair, truthful and that decisions are mutually made. Vulnerability can be hard for leaders in practices, especially if they fear losing influence to other practice leaders. When vulnerable, there is a risk that they may be emotionally hurt, judged or seen as weak or lacking by their fellow leaders. While counterintuitive, vulnerability contributes to being a stronger leader who forges deeper connections and stronger, more resilient relationships. Vulnerability-based trust is built with the belief that a person has others’ best interests at heart. In cultures of trust, there is no need to hide weaknesses or mistakes and each person can be accountable for their performance without fear of shame, embarrassment, or ridicule. To build trust, leaders must invest the time to get to know and understand each other.
ROLE AMBIGUITY Without clear role definition, it is impossible for leaders to know where the boundaries lie between their duties and those of their co-leaders. Unclear decision-making authority leads to territorial disputes in which teams may receive differing information about how work is to be performed for some tasks, while other priorities are unaddressed and overlooked. The result is a workplace culture that is defined by inconsistency. The leaders fear losing control, and display protectionist behaviors that further erode their ability to work together.
LACK OF UPPER MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND MEDIATION
Veterinary practices are uniformly small businesses, defined as workplaces with less than 500 employees in one location. Unlike larger businesses, there is rarely a mechanism in place for upper management to proactively address conflict amongst leaders. Further complicating the issue is the absence of an early warning system through which employees can raise red flags when leadership schisms occur. The absence of a cohesive leadership team leads to daily chaos, which can be recognized by a lack of teamwork, professionalism and operational inefficiency. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LEADERS DON’T GET ALONG? When leaders can’t find common ground, team members pay the price. Lack of alignment between leaders results in uneasiness, instability, stress, and concern amongst the team members. Due to leadership vacuums, teams form factions, with each subset operating under their own guidelines. This is harmful to team dynamics, leading to misunderstandings, confusion, and resentment among team members.
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VETGIRL BEAT EMAGAZINE | VETGIRLONTHERUN.COM
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