The Veterinary Leadership Success Show

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Dr Andy Roark and he dropped a line that lit up the internet:
“You, my friend, are a dick.”
His point was simple and uncomfortable. In veterinary medicine, one of the biggest career killers is being someone others simply do not want to work with. You might be clinically excellent. You might work hard. But if you consistently damage relationships, you quietly lose opportunities, influence and growth.
The feedback to that episode was fascinating. Many of you agreed. Many pushed back, sharing stories of abrasive leaders who still climbed the ladder.
So this week, I unpack it properly.
I break leadership down into a series of “Big D” styles - Direct, Ditherer, Dreamer and Democrat - and explore how each one shapes the way we make decisions. We look at when directive leadership works and when it corrodes culture, why indecision is often a clarity problem, how conflict avoidance erodes trust, and why collaboration without ownership stalls progress.
Underpinning it all is one core truth: leadership is decision-making.
And great leaders are not defined by personality. They are defined by flexibility.
So grab a coffee and join me for a practical conversation about leadership agility, self-awareness and choosing the right mode for the moment.
Episode Outline:
[00:00] Big D leaders in vet med
[02:03] Is being a dick really a career killer?
[03:14] The Direct leader – results vs relationships
[05:40] The Ditherer – clarity before action
[07:41] Dreamers – vision vs avoidance
[11:28] The Democrat – collaboration and responsibility
[15:52] Why data sharpens decisions
[17:11] Leadership is about flexibility
Become the Leader Your Team Deserves
If you want to sharpen your decision-making, build clarity around what good looks like, and develop the flexibility your team needs from you. Book a call with us at the Veterinary Leadership Academy.
We’ll help you identify where you’re strong, where you’re stuck, and what to do next.
Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Follow Dr. Dave: @drdavenicol
Learn more about the Veterinary Leadership Academy

Enjoyed this episode?
Leave a review on iTunes and share it with your veterinary colleagues!

This week, we’re asking a question that’s been rumbling under the surface of vet med for far too long: Are clients really the problem, or have we lost our grip on what’s actually going wrong?
To tackle this, I’m joined by Dr Seth Mathus Ganz, a board-certified small animal surgeon and founder of Agile Veterinary Surgery, who brings a rare perspective from working inside hundreds of practices. Seth has spent over a decade performing advanced procedures, mentoring vets, and observing what helps teams thrive - and what quietly holds them back.
Together, we look at the stories we tell ourselves about clients, discomfort, and growth, and how those stories shape our daily experience of the job. Seth offers a surgeon’s-eye view on why confidence and trust are built, not demanded - and how leaning into the right kind of challenge helps us grow skill, self-belief, and professional satisfaction.
We talk about feedback loops, compounding habits, and the long game of mastery - the kind that makes veterinary work feel meaningful, energising, and sustainable again.
So grab a coffee, take a breath, and join us for a thoughtful conversation about how we can build a healthier, more fulfilling future for vet med - one decision at a time.
Episode Outline:
[00:00] Clients as “the enemy”
[02:29] A surgeon’s front-row view
[04:03] The vet–client war story
[06:43] The victim mindset problem
[07:47] How “difficult” clients are made
[08:57] Avoiding discomfort blocks growth
[11:18] Two kinds of resistance
[14:42] Losing the magic of the job
[17:27] Growth compounds or stalls
[26:01] Why having a plan matters
[30:50] Clients as mirrors, not enemies
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re ready to turn insight into action, book a call with us at the Veterinary Leadership Academy. We’ll help you clarify what’s in the way and define your next move. Book your call here.

Connect with Dr. Seth Mathus Ganz:
Instagram: @ask_a_veterinary_surgeon
Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Instagram: @drdavenicol
Learn more about leadership training: Veterinary Leadership Academy
Enjoyed this episode?
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share it with a colleague who’s ready to bring the magic back to vet med.

In this episode of the Veterinary Leadership Success Show, I’m responding to the reaction.
Specifically, the wave of comments that followed a recent episode and social posts about a new graduate’s early experience in practice.
If you saw the Instagram reel or Facebook video, you’ll know the conversation struck a nerve.
Some comments were thoughtful and supportive. Others were angry, frustrated, and aimed squarely at “weak graduates”, falling standards, and a profession that feels like it’s under siege.
Today, I want to slow that conversation down.
Rather than adding to the noise, this episode looks beneath it, at the fatigue, the stretched systems, and the pressure that’s been building across the profession for a long time.
We talk about grit, resilience, mentorship, and why toughness isn’t something people arrive with on day one. It’s something that gets built, or broken, by the environments we place them into.
If you’re worried about standards, frustrated by how hard ownership has become, or quietly wondering whether the profession you love is changing in ways you don’t recognize, this is a conversation worth sitting with.
Referenced Posts:
Instagram reel:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTvXiAlCSZX/
Facebook video:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1397139445528655

Episode Outline:
[00:00] – Why this conversation exploded
[02:45] – Are graduates really the problem?
[05:30] – The myth of “grit” at graduation
[08:40] – Why our early careers weren’t the same
[11:30] – When hard work turns into attrition
[14:15] – Mentorship as leadership, not therapy
[16:45] – The damage caused by sink or swim
[18:30] – What high standards actually look like
[20:00] – The responsibility owners still hold
[21:45] – Building resilience the right way

Follow Dr. Dave Nicol for More Leadership Insights:
Instagram: @drdavenicol
Learn more about leadership training: Veterinary Leadership Academy

Enjoyed this episode?
If this episode made you pause or reflect, I’d really appreciate you leaving a review on iTunes and sharing it with someone else in the profession. These conversations matter – and how we handle them shapes what comes next.
Be safe. Be well. And take care of each other.

Part 1 laid bare what happens when well-meaning practices ask too much, too soon, without the systems to support it.
In this second conversation, we deliberately turn the lens the other way.
I’m joined by Dr. Moriah McCauley, a veterinarian now five years into practice, who shares what it looks like when graduate support is done well – thoughtfully, deliberately, and humanely.
Moriah’s story matters because it shows what’s possible. She’s still in the same practice five years on, not through resilience alone, but because the system around her was built for success from day one.
Together we talk about what attracted her to the role in the first place, how expectations were clarified early, and why mentorship is not a single person or a buzzword, but a culture. One that includes planned progression, real availability, psychological safety, and permission to be human when life gets complicated.
This episode explores the practical reality of guiding – not grinding – graduates. What it requires from leaders. What it asks of graduates. And why, done properly, it creates loyalty, competence, confidence, and long-term value for everyone involved.
This conversation forms the second half of a two-part series and sits alongside the session I’ll be delivering at VMX 2026: Guiding, Not Grinding.
Episode Outline:
[00:01] – Why this conversation matters
[02:00] – Meet Dr. Moriah
[04:30] – Choosing a first practice
[07:00] – Spotting a culture of mentorship
[09:30] – Gut instinct and psychological safety
[12:00] – Setting expectations early
[15:00] – What good mentorship looks like
[17:30] – Being supported through hard moments
[21:00] – The cost of investing in graduates
[24:30] – Return on investment, done properly
[27:00] – Learning the hardest skill: communication
[30:30] – Why Moriah stayed
[32:30] – What leaders need to hear next

Follow Dr Dave Nicol:
Instagram: @drdavenicol
Learn more about leadership support and training: Veterinary Leadership Academy

See more from Dr. Moriah McCauley: https://www.instagram.com/dr.moriah.mccauley
Connect with Dr. Moriah McCauley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moriah-mccauley

Enjoyed the episode?
Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. These conversations matter, and sharing them helps move our profession forward.

The first year in practice should not decide whether someone stays in veterinary medicine. But too often, it does.
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Hope Darnell, a recent graduate who shares a clear-eyed account of what her first year in practice was really like.
Hope stepped into her first role with the things good graduates bring - commitment, curiosity, and a genuine desire to do the job well. On paper, the support was there. Experienced vets. A capable team. Reassurance that help was available.
Then reality hit.
Within weeks, Hope was carrying a heavy clinical load, managing complex cases and new clients back to back, and covering the practice alone far earlier than she should have been. Emergencies, surgery, on-call work, and quietly absorbing management tasks as gaps appeared. All on top of a full caseload.
Without bad intent, guiding turned into grinding.
This story is not unusual. Practices are stretched. Mentorship is inconsistent. Time is scarce. Many teams want to do the right thing, but lack the structure or capacity to truly support early-career vets.
What matters is this. Despite everything, Hope chose to stay.
She stayed because she still believes in the work, the profession, and the possibility that we can do better. That belief places responsibility on those of us in leadership to build environments where graduates can grow safely, not burn out quietly.
If we get this right, we don’t just protect graduates – we strengthen our practices and safeguard the future of veterinary medicine.
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation and forms the foundation of a session I’ll be delivering at VMX 2026, Guiding, Not Grinding. In Part 2, we move into practical solutions for supporting graduates, and the future of veterinary medicine, more effectively.
Episode Outline:
[00:02] – Meet Dr. Hope
[05:00] – Picking a first job
[09:00] – Support that looked solid
[12:00] – Trying to practise good medicine
[14:00] – Taking on more and more
[18:30] – Being left on your own
[20:00] – The day it all collided
[24:00] – Still working, but not coping
[26:00] – When numbness sets in
[31:00] – What new grads really need
[35:00] – The “unicorn vet” problem
[39:00] – Is your practice ready for a graduate?
[43:00] – Why mentorship matters
[45:00] – Why Dr Hope stayed in vet medicine

Follow Dr Dave Nicol:
Instagram: @drdavenicol
Learn more about leadership support and training: Veterinary Leadership Academy

Connect with Dr Hope Darnelle:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-darnell-dvm-b53054214/

Enjoyed the episode?
Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. These conversations matter, and sharing them helps move our profession forward.