Leadership Theories and the Veterinary Health Care System

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Good leadership is necessary for the success of every company. The health care industry, including the veterinary sector, has been increasingly acknowledging the importance of an appropriate leadership, and the attention towards leadership theories in this field has steadily increased in the literature through the past one and a half decade. However, a consensus on what effective leadership is and on how it can contribute to the veterinary health sector is still lacking. This review aims to describe the most prominent leadership theories as well as leadership styles, as they may apply to the veterinary health care sector and to discuss transformational leadership in routine and crisis situation in the human and veterinary health care industry. ABSTRACT: This descriptive review aims to illustrate the different leadership theories as they may apply to the veterinary health care sector, and specifically, to the affection and sports animal subsectors. The increasing and ever-changing challenges veterinary health care operators and investors operating in these subsectors face are briefly described, as well as the most known leadership theories and styles, each with its possible advantages and disadvantages specific to its application to the veterinary health care system. The different theories are illustrated in their key aspects and their historical evolution. Finally, the discussion focuses on transformational leadership as it is seen as the most progressive and promising leadership style to hold up to said challenges in the veterinary health care system.