A practical series for leading humans doing hard work
This series is for leaders who care deeply, work in high-pressure environments, and want tools that actually help teams function better, not just sound good in theory.
Each post introduces one emotionally intelligent leadership tool, explains why it works, and shows how to use it without undermining professionalism or accountability.
Do you consider yourself a fun leader?
I do. And I’m not afraid to say it.
Not because work is a joke, but because tension is real, especially in veterinary medicine, and teams need healthy, intentional ways to release it.
Fun leadership is often misunderstood. It gets lumped in with being unserious or unprofessional. But in my experience, the opposite is true. Fun, when used intentionally, is a form of emotional intelligence.
Veterinary teams carry an enormous emotional load.
High stakes.
Time pressure.
Client emotion.
Moral stress.
When that pressure builds with no release, it doesn’t disappear. It turns into irritability, withdrawal, conflict, or burnout.
That’s why I’ve always believed leadership includes helping teams regulate, not just perform.
Sometimes that regulation looks like calm presence and direct conversation.
And sometimes it looks like doing something a little ridiculous on purpose.
I’ve been known to break up a stressful moment by singing, dancing, or doing something unexpected. Not to minimize what’s happening, and not to avoid hard conversations—but to remind people of something important.
We’re human.
We’re under pressure.
And we’re in this together.
A brief moment of levity can interrupt a stress spiral long enough for the nervous system to reset. When people can breathe again, they can think again.
That’s not accidental.
That’s leadership.
One of my favorite stress-reset strategies came from an unlikely place. I saw a young woman on TikTok hold her hands to her head like antlers and bellow loudly to release stress. My immediate reaction was, that’s actually brilliant.
So we tried it.
Now, when the team is frustrated or stuck in a funk, someone will call out “moose ears.” Everyone puts their hands on their head like antlers and lets out a big bellow.
Is it silly? Absolutely.
Is it professional? Surprisingly, yes.
Because that brief, shared moment does something important.
It releases tension.
It breaks the stress loop.
It creates connection and laughter.
It helps the team reset and refocus.
No one pretends the stress isn’t real. We just refuse to let it own the room.
This part matters.
Using humor well is not the same thing as avoiding reality. Fun leadership is not toxic positivity. It’s not bypassing conflict or glossing over hard days.
It’s about timing and intention.
It’s knowing when a team needs grounding and when they need permission to laugh. It’s understanding that emotional intelligence includes reading the room, not just managing tasks.
Fun leadership works because it creates psychological safety. It tells teams, you don’t have to hold everything alone.
Fun doesn’t undermine leadership.
When used intentionally, it strengthens it.
Teams are more likely to trust leaders who feel human. They’re more likely to speak up, recover from mistakes, and support one another when the environment feels safe enough to breathe.
Leadership doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time to be effective. In fact, when leadership always feels heavy, it’s worth asking why.
Sometimes the most emotionally intelligent thing a leader can do is create a shared moment of release, then guide the team back to work with clarity and care.
How do you help your team reset when stress is high?
Whether it’s humor, movement, quiet grounding, or something else entirely, the goal is the same. Help people come back into themselves so they can show up fully for the work.
That’s not frivolous.
That’s leadership.
Heart and Mind VetMed 