Leadership skills for new and emerging leaders in veterinary practice
Moving into the next stage of your veterinary career can be exciting, and if that next step involves stepping into a new leadership role, then it can also be both exhilarating and challenging. Whether you’re a veterinarian, veterinary nurse/tech, or a practice manager, if you want to excel as a leader, there are five crucial skills that, as a newcomer, you’ll need to build on.
In this post, we’ll introduce you to those five key skills and then over the next 5 posts, we’ll focus on each of those five skills in more detail.
1. Communication is the key!
Communication is essential in any role within a veterinary practice; however, in a leadership role, effective communication is paramount. As a leader, your ability to articulate a clear vision, expectations, and goals is essential for encouraging alignment and motivation among your team members. Active listening is equally crucial, as it helps you to understand concerns, ideas, and feedback and promotes a culture of open discussions and collaboration.
2. Decision-Making
As a leader, you’re going to need to make decisions, often quickly and under pressure, and sometimes with incomplete information, so adept decision-making is vital.
Developing the necessary skills to analyse situations, assess risks, and choose the best course of action will help inspire confidence in your team and ensure progress even in complex scenarios.
3. Emotional Intelligence
Your role as a leader involves dealing with people, including employees and clients, so emotional intelligence is invaluable.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively use emotions in yourself and others.
Understanding and managing your emotions and those of your team members builds trust, empathy, and rapport. As a leader, if you can navigate relationships, resolve conflicts, and provide support within your team, it will help create a positive work environment that encourages productivity and growth for your veterinary practice.
4. Delegation
Effective delegation is the fourth essential leadership skill. As a new leader, it can be a struggle to let go of tasks that you were previously responsible for (and probably really good at doing!). Learning to delegate tasks according to your team members’ strengths not only empowers them and promotes efficiency and team development, but it also frees you up to focus on the more strategic aspects of your leadership role.
5. Adaptability & continuous learning
The final essential key to successful leadership is adaptability and continuous learning; both are indispensable. Being open to change and embracing new ideas is vital in the ever-changing veterinary industry. Seeking feedback, staying updated on industry trends, and refining your leadership style based on experiences are essential for your long-term success.
Every week, check out Vetanswers Members’ eNews, as we share a wide range of information and are always researching new and innovative solutions you can use in your new leadership role. Members receive the eNews every Friday morning in their inbox, and if you’re not already a member, join here – it’s FREE!
To help you out in your ‘continuous learning’ journey, you can keep an eye on our online What’s On? Veterinary CPD Calendar for interesting CPD events that can help to develop your leadership skills. Add ‘free’ in the search bar to track down all the freebie events!
And don’t forget to look outside the veterinary industry for ideas and inspiration, as successful leadership skills are common across all industries.
Takeaway Points:
If you’re a new leader, you’re probably excited but also challenged in your new role.
There’s a lot to learn, but the key skills to prioritise are:
- effective communication,
- adept decision-making,
- emotional intelligence,
- delegation, and
- adaptability.
Cultivating these skills will enhance your performance and empower your team by building a culture of collaboration, growth, and achievement.
In the next post, we’ll focus on Essential Skill 1 – Communication.
Read the entire series:
Leadership skills for new leaders in veterinary practice. Essential Skill 1 – Communication
Leadership skills for new leaders in veterinary practice. Essential Skill 2 – Decision-Making
Leadership skills for new leaders in veterinary practice. Essential Skill 3 – Emotional Intelligence
Leadership skills for new leaders in veterinary practice. Essential Skill 4 – Delegation
Leadership skills for new leaders in veterinary practice. Essential Skill 5 – Adaptability & Continuous Learning
