This episode continues on "The Behaviors of..." series which dives into the people side of the animal care field. This episode, is a live panel recording from the 2025 ABMA Virtual Conference with live submitted questions from conference attendees. The panelists include leaders at all levels of animal care from keepers to curators to executive directors which give a holistic view and advice on what leadership can look like at any level in the animal care field. The panelist are Chris Jenkins, Clint Lusardi, Darren Minier, Julie Grove, Missy Lamar, Sandy Jabas, Shea Eaves, Stephanie Joe, Torianna Green, and Trelle Dandridge. Instead of the traditional "Training Tales", to end the episode the panelist provide their "Leadership Resource List" which can be found at the end of this episode's description. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

• 4:40 Introductions to the panelists and what does leadership mean to you? 

• 22:45 Approaching management to encourage someone to take on a responsibility so that other coworkers feel motivated, seen, and heard 

• 33:30 As a leader, when growing and supporting a newer leader that struggles with communication and tone, how do you best allow them to practice those skills without damaging relationships 

• 52:20 What are the challenges of leading your peers and how do you overcome those challenges? 

• 59:15 What advice do you have for a leader to hold their team accountable so that they are raising the team up to a higher standard instead of brining the higher achievers down to a lower standard? 

• 1:04:20 What does it look like when a leader creates “a safe environment”? 

• 1:09:25 What advice do you have for those who are leading amongst their peers? 

• 1:26:20 How do you work around the thought of “You’re not my boss” when you are trying to be a leader at any level 

• 1:33:10 For those who do not have the authority or responsibility of changing disciplinary action plans for a larger organization, what are some small changes we can make in our teams in order to model “Just Culture” 

• 1:40:00 “Leadership Resource List” 

• “Leading Without Authority” by Keith Ferrazi 

• “It’s Your Ship” by Captain Michael Abrashoff 

• “Crucial Conversations” 

• “Just Culture” 

• “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott