What happens when the people meant to lead and support the team slowly become the emotional shock absorbers for the entire hospital? In clinics everywhere, practice managers and medical directors step in to help because they care. A team member is overwhelmed, conflict pops up, a client is upset, and leadership jumps in to fix it. At first, it feels supportive. But over time, every problem starts landing on the same shoulders. Team members stop solving issues themselves, accountability gets delayed, and leaders find themselves emotionally exhausted, constantly putting out fires instead of leading strategically. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Maria Pirita, CVPM sits down with Suzanne Thomas, LVTg, CVTg, regional leader and educator behind Leading Veterinary Teams, to unpack how good leaders unintentionally create systems where everything escalates to them, and how that cycle leads straight to burnout. Let's get into this episode!

Regional Leaders Summit 2026

Managing across multiple clinics is complex, and the stakes keep getting higher. The Uncharted Regional Leaders Summit 2026 is a hands-on virtual event for veterinary regional and multi-site leaders who want practical strategies, real conversations, and solutions they can put to work immediately. Use code REGION to save 20% and reserve your spot:

https://community.unchartedvet.com/uncharted-regional-leaders-summit-2026

Upcoming events: https://learn.unchartedvet.com/pages/events

All Links: https://linktr.ee/UnchartedVet

Do you have something that you would love Andy and Stephanie to discuss on the podcast? If so, send us a message through the mailbag! Submit it here: unchartedvet.com/mailbag