Most managers and supervisors in veterinary practices work hard to do the right things for their teams. But old habits have a way of sneaking in, especially when we’re busy, stressed, or just trying to keep the day moving. If you’ve ever found yourself relying on rules, policies, or reminders to drive behavior, you’re not alone. The problem isn’t a lack of effort; it’s that much of what we call “management” is based on ideas that simply don’t fit modern veterinary medicine.

If we want stronger, more engaged teams, we have to start by shifting our own approach. That means letting go of outdated management playbooks and learning how to lead our people, not just our processes.

Why Old-School Management Fails in Veterinary Medicine

The earliest management theories were built for factories, not animal hospitals. Back then, success meant getting people to follow instructions, avoid mistakes, and repeat the same task all day. Management was about creating rules, enforcing policies, and punishing mistakes. This “command and control” style worked when jobs were repetitive and employees didn’t need to think, collaborate, or adapt.

But veterinary practices aren’t assembly lines. Our teams need to communicate, solve problems, innovate, and work together every single day. When we rely on rules, reminders, and external consequences, we might get quick compliance, but it never lasts. As soon as the pressure’s off, people drift back to old habits. They become experts at staying out of trouble, not at delivering great care or working as a team.

Getting Away from Risk, or Moving Toward What’s Important?

Think of it like this: When you manage by threat or punishment, you’re asking people to run from a tiger. They’ll move fast, but only until they think the coast is clear. When you lead by engaging your team and building real motivation, it’s like training for a marathon. People move toward something they care about, and that energy carries them farther than any policy ever could.

Over time, managing with control and correction leads to more disengagement, more turnover, and a team that relies on you for every answer. Nobody wants to spend their day avoiding mistakes or waiting to be told what to do; not you, and not your team.

The Real Difference Between Managing and Leading

It helps to make one thing clear: managing and leading aren’t the same job. Management is about working with things like systems, schedules, supplies, and processes. Leadership is about working with people. It’s how you show up, coach, communicate, and help others grow.

If you’re filling out an order form, reviewing your practice’s staff schedule, or updating inventory, that’s management. If you’re coaching a technician, training a new hire, or meeting with your team to solve a problem, that’s leadership.

Most veterinary managers do both every day. The real opportunity is to recognize which hat you’re wearing at the moment and make deliberate choices about how you approach each situation. By being aware of whether you’re managing things or leading people, you can respond in ways that help your team grow and keep your practice running smoothly.

It’s worth asking yourself: How much of your day is spent just “managing” tasks? Where are you really leading your people?

Build Your Guiding Principles for Practice Success

Instead of relying on policies and constant reminders, great managers and leaders work from a set of guiding principles. These aren’t just a list of rules - they’re your beliefs about how you want to run your practice and help your team succeed. They serve as your anchor when things get busy or stressful.

For management, your guiding principles might sound like this: 

• I will use our business dashboard every month to keep an eye on growth, cash flow, and operational health.
• I will plan ahead for hiring, based on our retention rate and staffing needs, so we avoid last-minute scrambles.
• I will invest a set percentage of our revenue into marketing and growth so we’re always moving forward. 

For leadership, they might look more like this:

• Success comes from fully engaged people in a positive, effective culture.
• My own behavior sets the tone for the whole practice, no matter how stressful the day is.
• I will meet regularly with every team member to coach, develop, and help them achieve their goals as part of our team.
• Change works best when people help shape it, not when it’s forced on them.

These guiding principles can give you a compass for tough decisions and help you create an environment where people want to grow, not just follow orders.

From Reactive to Proactive: Turn Principles Into Action

Knowing your guiding principles is just the start. The real difference comes when you use them to guide daily actions, what we call operational behaviors. Proactive veterinary managers and leaders don’t just react to problems as they show up. They plan, prepare, and build habits that move the practice forward.

For example, if one of your management principles is to use a business dashboard each month, your operational behavior might be:

If one of your leadership principles is to engage your people every day, your operational behavior might be:

Here’s an example: Suppose you see that your dental procedures have plateaued, and there’s now a four-week wait for dentals. A reactive manager waits until clients start complaining or revenue drops. A proactive manager notices the trend, asks why, and comes up with solutions like opening a second dental station and training more team members.

But here’s the leadership pivot: Instead of announcing the change, you gather your team, share what you’ve learned, and ask for their ideas. How can we serve more dental patients? What would it take to staff a second station? How can we train everyone who’s interested? By involving your team, they get to be invested in the solution, not just complying with a new rule.

By turning your principles into habits, you can move away from the daily cycle of putting out fires and start building a practice where people think ahead, take ownership, and look for ways to make things better.

Lead with Intention, Not Just Instruction

Veterinary medicine has changed, and so has what teams need leaders. Rules and reminders might keep people out of trouble for a day, but they won’t create an engaged team or a thriving practice.

This week, take a look at where you’re still managing by habit and pick one area where you can start leading proactively. Maybe it’s your approach to coaching, your hiring process, or how you tackle a recurring challenge. Build your guiding principles, put them into practice, and invite your team to help create what comes next.

The future of your practice isn’t built on policies. It’s built on people, and the way you choose to lead them every day.

What do you think? Other veterinary pros want to hear from you! Share your experience in the comments below.