May 2025

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education blog, Dr. Marisa Brunetti, Chief Veterinary Officer at IndeVets, reviews the importance of leadership training for leaders of our veterinary practices. We dedicate four years in veterinary school to mastering medicine. Yet, there is little training dedicated to developing leadership skills. Leadership and emotional intelligence skills are just as essential as clinical ones.

By Marisa Brunetti, VMD, Chief Veterinary Officer at IndeVets

Why Veterinary Leadership is Crucial to Our Profession

It’s 6pm on a Monday night. You’re the only veterinarian in the hospital, juggling three rooms with two technicians. Your CSR enters, shocked. A client is shouting because their pet’s meds aren’t ready.

Don’t look around – you are the leader here.

After 15 years in this field—as a new grad, relief vet, and now Chief Veterinary Officer—I’ve realized one constant: veterinarians are leaders, every single day. It is embedded in our role. I believe it’s our duty to pursue leadership education and advocate for ourselves and each other.

Why Leadership in Veterinary Medicine Matters

We dedicate four years in veterinary school to mastering medicine. Yet, for decades, leadership training wasn’t a focus. That’s started changing just recently—and for good reason. Leadership and emotional intelligence skills are just as essential as clinical ones.

Veterinarians with strong leadership skills:

  • Improve team culture and operational efficiency
  • Foster accountability and reduce burnout, boosting retention
  • Enhance the standard of care, reducing fear and stress for pets and people
  • Elevate client education and team development—a rising tide lifts all boats

The Leadership Gap in Veterinary Medicine

As corporate ownership has grown in veterinary care, a problematic trend has emerged. There’s an assumption that veterinarians are natural leaders who can run a practice without formal training. At the same time, many organizations fail to invest in leadership development at the doctor or executive level.

Veterinarians must have a voice at every leadership level—from front-line care to executive strategy. We uniquely understand the clinical and emotional demands of the role. When vets lead, patient care, business outcomes, and hospital culture all improve.

We must let go of the outdated and dangerous notion that a veterinarian’s value lies solely in revenue generation. Leadership development is an investment in a healthier, more sustainable profession.

A New Standard for Veterinary Leadership

Something we often forget is to focus first on yourself as the leader. You must be a healthy, well-rounded person with emotional intelligence and resilience to lead other people and teams. That’s why at IndeVets we’ve created a veterinary leadership training program rooted in three pillars that begins with you:

1. Leadership of Self

  • Emotional intelligence
  • Communication skills
  • Time management
  • Integrity
  • Critical thinking and decision-making

2. Leadership of People and Teams

  • Performance elevation
  • Coaching and motivation
  • Delivering effective feedback
  • Delegation and empowerment
  • Conflict resolution

3. Leadership in Organizations

  • Mission-driven decision making
  • Culture-building
  • Change management

Programs should be designed not just to train vets, but to also empower them as changemakers in their clinics, communities, and beyond.

Embracing Mentorship as Leadership

Leadership and mentorship are closely linked. But let’s redefine mentorship:

  • It’s not just about clinical skills. It’s about developing emotional intelligence, communication, and confidence.
  • It goes both ways. I’ve learned as much from mentees as they have from me.
  • It’s for every stage of your career. Whether you’re handling complex surgeries or managing conflict, mentorship matters.

Mentorship is one of the top criteria new and early career veterinarians look for in their veterinary jobs. It’s important to remember that providing mentorship is more than just saying yes to a mentee and working alongside them daily. Mentorship is:

  • A team goal and the value must be communicated to everyone working with the mentor-mentee pair.
  • The relationship must have a plan that both people agree on, with expectations and feedback managed routinely.
  • Not all mid or late-career veterinarians are cut out to be mentors – ask yourself, do you have time, resiliency, and patience to mentor someone?
  • Just like in leadership, mentors need training too.

At IndeVets, we work with the MentorVet Leap program to train our mentors while they are mentoring other veterinarians.  The wellbeing and success of the mentor is just as important as the wellbeing and success of the mentee!

Building a Future with Veterinary Leaders at the Helm

Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a mindset. And every veterinarian has the potential to lead.

Where to Start:

1. Acknowledge Your Leadership Role

You lead every day—even if no one has told you so.

2. Invest in Yourself

Start small with a book or course on emotional intelligence or growth mindset.

3. Practice Mindfulness

Leadership begins with self-awareness. Whether it’s 5 minutes of deep breathing or a short meditation between appointments, every bit helps.

4. Voice Your Goals

Talk to your current leaders. Share your aspirations and ask for support. Say, “I want to be a mentor,” or “I aim to become a medical director.”

5. Take small Steps:

Start your leadership journey with a few small steps – ask to lead the monthly doctor meeting, train the technicians quarterly on a new product or service, and start to network with other veterinarians in your area and online!

Together, we can all embrace our own leadership – of ourselves, our teams, and our organizations – to make a better world for veterinary teams and our clients and patients. And, despite a slow start, there are now more leadership training and development opportunities available for veterinarians – AVMA (with MentorVet), AAHA, NAVC and other conferences, and general leadership training through local universities and online. You are in control – seek out what you want, and advocate for yourself!

The path to leadership doesn’t require a grand gesture. It starts with recognizing your value, seeking support, and growing intentionally.

IndeVets-Logo-Green
Today’s VETgirl blog is sponsored by IndeVets. Please note that the opinions in this podcast are expressed by the speaker(s)/sponsor(s), and not directly endorsed by VETgirl.

Only VETgirl members can leave comments. Sign In or Join VETgirl now!