#096: Building Vision-Driven Veterinary Teams with Dr. George Cuellar
Veterinary leaders often rise through the ranks without ever receiving formal training in how to define a vision, build culture, or guide a team with clarity. Dr. George Cuellar joins Crystal to explore how aspiring entrepreneurs can step into leadership with purpose by working through three essential phases: defining the vision, sharing it effectively, and engaging the team in bringing it to life. Drawing on decades as a corporate executive, practice owner, and state veterinary leader, George explains how he discovered that true leadership is not about directing people; it’s about creating a shared sense of purpose that others want to be part of.
George shares how his own hospital’s transformation began with articulating a clear, compelling vision and pairing it with a set of values that guided every decision. He describes how leaders can evolve from simply “telling” their vision to collaborating on it by testing ideas, inviting dialogue, and using regular meetings to cultivate ownership across the team. As the culture strengthens, leaders move into phase three: engaging individual team members through development plans, outcome-based goals, and accountability structures that empower them to grow rather than depend on the leader.
The conversation also explores why leaders must resist the urge to overhelp and allow team members to struggle, fail, and ultimately succeed on their own terms. George explains how celebrating wins, learning from missteps, and trusting the team helps shift the culture from leader-dependent to self-sustaining. He leaves listeners with core reminders: everything you need to lead is already within you, growth requires compassion and grit, and no leader should go it alone. Veterinary professionals are encouraged to seek mentorship and support as they develop leadership cultures that are built to last.
What’s Inside:
How Dr. Cuellar went from corporate leadership to building a vision-driven veterinary hospital
Why defining a clear vision and set of values is the foundation for effective leadership
The five stages of sharing a vision from telling to true co-creation with your team
How to engage staff through individualized growth plans, accountability, and meaningful consequences
Why leaders must resist overhelping and allow room for struggle, learning, and celebration
Practical steps to build a self-sustaining culture where aligned, motivated team members thrive
Today’s Guest:
Dr. George Cuellar has spent his life helping people and animals thrive. With over four decades in veterinary medicine, he has worked as a clinician, leader, and mentor, always passionate about supporting those who care deeply for animals. A 1984 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, he owned Southern California Veterinary Hospital for 20 years, growing it into a thriving practice and guiding a large team through both challenges and successes.
Board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Canine/Feline), George also served in regional corporate leadership roles and dedicated himself to advancing veterinary education. He has chaired the Scientific Program Committees for both the Wild West and Pacific Veterinary Conferences and led as President of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association. In 2023, he expanded his lifelong passion into professional coaching. As a CPCC and IPF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), he now helps veterinarians flourish as clinicians, leaders, and people.
