Is it important that veterinarians lead?

We firmly believe it is absolutely crucial that veterinarians take on leadership roles in society because their training and expertise is critical to addressing issues of animal and human health. The term leader most often is used to describe a person in a position of authority or responsibility, whereas leadership refers to the process by which leaders influence others to achieve a common goal.¹ As indicated by the Veterinary Leadership Institute, if leadership is influence, then all veterinarians are, to one extent or another, leaders, even if only in their own clinics. However, if veterinarians do not influence decisions beyond individual patient care, the loss to society could be considerable.

Notably, a wide variety of leadership styles and theories have been described, and it is beyond the scope of this commentary to review them all. We would point out that a solely authoritative leadership style typically will not result in the committed followers and team players needed to have a positive influence on decisions being made in our world.

The veterinary profession has undergone a dramatic gender shift, with most veterinarians in the United States now being female.² One might assume from the lack of female veterinarians in the highest ranks of industry, academia, and organized veterinary medicine that women veterinarians have less interest than men in taking on leadership roles. However, in our many conversations with women veterinarians across the profession, we have not found a lack of desire to assume leadership roles. Instead, we identified a number of barriers for women veterinarians interested in assuming these key positions. Additionally, we found few leadership development opportunities specifically geared toward women veterinarians. If the veterinary profession is to take on leadership roles in society, then it must do a better job of developing women leaders.

In our conversations with leaders throughout the veterinary profession, raising the question of whether veterinarians should be leaders in society generally took our interview subjects aback. Their sentiment was that of course veterinarians should lead and should hold positions of influence. Ceding the diverse arenas of one health, for example, to individuals who are not veterinarians struck them—and us—as a serious problem. Veterinarians’ insights, skill sets, and expertise are indispensable to a healthy and thriving economy, and veterinary influence should not be left out of the decision-making process.

Without greater engagement, the veterinary profession as we know it will become irrelevant because veterinarians’ voices will be absent from wider societal debates. To lose the input of well-trained comparative medical professionals who provide disease surveillance for emerging and zoonotic diseases and who also support the health and welfare of the animals that serve humankind by providing scientific data, food, fiber, and work (especially in developing countries) is to risk our food supply, our economic security, and our environmental and individual health.

Do veterinarians want to lead?

When it comes to assuming leadership roles, veterinarians often seem to be impaired in the same way that physicians are.^3,4,a Both, to some greater or lesser extent, are trained as individual healers whose greatest impact is in hands-on patient care.⁵ Both tend to be comfortable in practice environments and do not necessarily look for opportunities to have a voice in the larger issues facing society. As one alumnus^b of the Penn Executive Veterinary Leadership Program observed, veterinarians may already feel they lead effectively by exercising their ability to heal animals and provide relief to suffering, but it is not clear whether they consistently possess the self-awareness and clarity in values, strengths, and passions that foster good leadership through example.

As veterinarians, we can increase our impact through additional training in leadership skills, but we may not realize the impact of such leadership training until we begin to put those skills into practice. The consensus among veterinary leaders we have talked to is that veterinarians want to see the influence of the veterinary profession increase, but to increase the profession's influence, veterinarians must begin to value formal training in leadership. The traditional veterinary practice model must adapt and change if veterinarians are to have a meaningful impact on society. Ultimately, the profession needs effective leaders to usher in these changes. The desire to increase the veterinary profession's influence is confounded by veterinarians’ seeming lack of interest in pursuing leadership training.

Clearly, if veterinarians are to have a positive impact on society, then women must lead. Thus, as part of the general need to develop veterinary leaders, there is a specific need to develop female veterinary leaders, equipping them to face traditional societal obstructions. Differences in leadership style and preferences exist between women and men, and these must be taken into account. Lloyd et al⁶ noted that “more women are needed in academic and traditional leadership roles as mentors and role models,” but also pointed out that “[w]omen often take nontraditional leadership roles and are less visible. The female leadership style is often different than that of males and must therefore be trained and nurtured differently.”

When veterinarians take the time to evaluate their skills, they begin to see the value of leadership on a personal and corporate (ie, that which touches others in their lives) level and can immediately begin to put leadership skills into practice. The key is getting veterinarians to objectively evaluate what they are doing in their professional lives and to recognize that there are skills that will help them be more content and more successful. Unfortunately, veterinarians can easily get caught up in the day-to-day demands of their jobs, preventing them from looking at the bigger picture. But, we won't be prepared with the skills necessary to be successful in today's workplace if we don't do so. We need to be collaborative leaders who focus on effectively communicating the value veterinary training and knowledge brings to our clients and society, instead of independent, top-down leaders who work in isolation.

Is leadership taught in veterinary school and does leadership training need to be veterinary specific?

A variety of veterinary-specific leadership training programs are available, such as the Penn Executive Veterinary Leadership Program, the Veterinary Leadership Experience, presentations by the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative, and programs offered through various veterinary medical associations and colleges of veterinary medicine. In addition, a large number of leadership training programs not specific to the veterinary profession are offered by various forprofit and not-for-profit entities. Most deans of colleges of veterinary medicine prioritize leadership training for faculty members, whether through formal programs or through less-formal means such as executive coaching, mentoring, and team-building skills development. The Veterinary Business Management Association is a student-led initiative that provides information on particular leadership skills such as communication and conflict resolution to its members through outside speakers delivering pertinent content.

Expert opinion and experience suggest that leadership training must be high quality but does not necessarily have to be veterinary specific. On the other hand, as has been the case with physician leadership programs,⁷ having credible colleagues involved may be useful in convincing veterinarians to participate. Additionally, in our experience, the bonds formed in veterinary-specific training programs create lasting professional support networks that can foster and encourage a long-lasting commitment to leadership development. Authors of a 2003 study⁸ on leadership needs for the veterinary profession suggested that “leadership courses specifically targeted for the veterinary profession” should be developed, but further recommended that “[p]rofessional trainers with cross-functional experience should teach these courses” and that “[v]eterinarians must learn to allow outside experts to teach and help them.”

Leadership training specifically designed for and delivered to veterinarians does carry some drawbacks. Achieving influence in larger societal issues requires comfort working across sectors (public, private, academic, and civil), disciplines, political views, cultures, and personality styles. Because the veterinary profession lacks diversity, veterinarians will need to expand their networks beyond their own profession. Broad networks of personal relationships enhance one's potential for influence.

Has the veterinary profession invested sufficient resources in leadership training?

In our opinion, individual veterinarians typically do not prioritize leadership training sufficiently to invest time or money into the acquisition of leadership skills. However, some colleges of veterinary medicine, veterinary medical associations, large veterinary practices, and corporations with ties to the veterinary profession have been willing to provide at least limited resources for leadership training. Notably, almost all of the deans of colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States provide faculty members time and funding to pursue leadership training, but most have found faculty members to be reluctant to take advantage of these opportunities owing to the institutional culture. After more than 10 years, the Veterinary Leadership Institute still has a difficult time convincing faculty members to participate in a week-long leadership training program, even though the program is free other than travel expenses. In our experience, programs with registration costs are unlikely to attract enrollees without scholarship support. Thus, if we are to create leaders, we will need to be willing to provide monetary support. The human medical profession is beginning to understand the strategic benefits of investing in leadership development, as evidenced by the 10-year experience at the Cleveland Clinic, where a visionary individual fostered a highly effective program⁷ that is now being emulated throughout the medical profession.

Part of the veterinary profession's reluctance to embrace leadership training as a worthwhile investment may be due to the lack of evidence-based studies on the impact of leadership training. Unfortunately, designing and executing such studies would be difficult and expensive. However, other professions have measured the benefits of leadership training and have found them to be substantial.^a,c

Conclusion

At end, it appears that the veterinary profession is coming—in fits and starts—to the realization that veterinarians must accept their role as leaders and be trained to effectively lead, and there appears to be renewed energy and excitement about leadership in the profession. Academic leaders are providing resources and opportunities for leadership development to their students and faculty members. A program geared toward women's leadership development called WeLEAD (Women Empowered to Lead) was presented at the North American Veterinary Community conference, and the Veterinary Leadership Institute, Penn Executive Veterinary Leadership Program, and Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative, among others, provide veterinary-specific leadership training opportunities.

That said, awareness, access, and alliances must be further advanced to increase the impact of the veterinary profession. The profession must move from a reactive to a proactive approach and make leadership development within the veterinary profession a priority. A national clearinghouse of information on existing leadership training programs, scholarships for participants, mentor programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, and outcomes of leadership training programs should be developed.

Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to make the world a healthier place for animals and people. We cannot—and should not—limit our influence through deficiencies in leadership training and should work hard to remove barriers, especially barriers for women, to leadership opportunities.