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Delegation is one of the most challenging and most essential skills for veterinary hospital managers to master. Recently, I was given an opportunity to put this skill to the test when I traveled internationally with my daughter on what truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime trip. As managers, stepping away from a busy, eight-doctor small animal hospital can feel nearly impossible. The day-to-day operations are constant, unpredictable, and often exhausting. Yet, this experience reminded me that sometimes the best thing we can do for our hospitals, and ourselves, is to step back.

The Challenge of Letting Go

Like many leaders, I've always trusted and respected my assistant manager and leadership team. They are capable, dedicated, and deeply invested in the success of the hospital. Still, I've often hesitated to delegate too much, worrying about overburdening them or contributing to burnout. Veterinary medicine is already a demanding field, and the last thing I want is to add unnecessary stress to an already full workload. That mindset, while well-intentioned, can unintentionally limit growth for both the team and the organization.

Preparing to Delegate

Preparing for my trip meant making a conscious decision to let go of that hesitation. I had to entrust my team with responsibilities I would normally handle myself: employee HR issues, staff injuries, call-outs, equipment failures, and client complaints, all on top of their regular duties. These are not small tasks, and handing them off requires both planning and a leap of faith. More importantly, it required me to accept that things might be handled differently than I would handle them, and that's okay.

Leading Through Trust

While I was away, I made a deliberate effort to unplug and be present with my daughter (about a 95% success rate). I checked in when necessary, but I resisted the urge to micromanage from afar. This space allowed my team to step up in meaningful ways. They navigated challenges, made decisions, and supported one another without relying on me as the constant safety net. In doing so, they weren't just maintaining operations; they were actively growing their leadership skills.

Turning Delegation into a Strategic Leadership Tool

What I realized is that delegation, when done thoughtfully, is not about adding burden; it's about sharing ownership. By giving my team the opportunity to take on more responsibility, I invested in their development and reinforced my trust in their abilities. Growth doesn't happen in comfort zones, and leadership skills are built through real-world experience, not observation alone. My absence created space for that growth.

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from this experience was a simple but profound realization: a true testament to effective management is that the hospital continues to run smoothly in your absence. The goal is not to be indispensable, but to build a team that is confident, capable, and resilient. When the hospital doesn't skip a beat without you, it's not a reflection of your lack of importance; it's a reflection of your success as a leader.

For veterinary hospital managers and leadership team members, I encourage you to embrace delegation not just as a necessity, but as a leadership strategy. Yes, be mindful of workload and burnout, but don't let that fear prevent your team from reaching their full potential. Trust them, support them, and occasionally step away. You may find, as I did, that in letting go, you empower your team and yourself more than you ever expected

Leslie Boudreau, RVTg, CVPM, PHR, SPHR, PHRca
VHMA President

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