Dr Garnett Hall on Leverage

In each issue of our journal, we ask a handful of people to reflect on our theme. This is veterinarian, Dr Garnett Hall, on Leverage:

I am a bit of an optimist with a perpetual desire to achieve better outcomes for our planet, our community and my family. However, I am also enough of a realist to understand that humans are only equipped with a finite amount of strength, skill, and energy – thus creating a personal disparity between ‘lofty goals’ and ‘actual ability’.

The concept of leverage is important to me because it describes the achievement of disproportionate outcomes from a finite amount of possible effort.

It is more than simply finding the most ‘bang for your buck’, it is about applying your effort cleverly and using the social, political and physical environment to your advantage to achieve things that might otherwise be impossible.

The concept can even be applied to improve situations outside of our typical sphere of influence. These opportunities can be unexpected and fleeting, so always be prepared to jump in!

Dr Garnett Hall is a Perth veterinarian, innovator and entrepreneur. He is the owner of Fremantle Animal Hospital and is leading the development of implantable animal biosensors through his biotechnology start-up. He continues to apply his veterinary skills in the Army Reserve, where he provides care for our military working dogs and participates in veterinary humanitarian assistance missions in Australia and overseas. He was deployed to Kangaroo Island in response to last year’s devastating bushfires and has ‘leveraged’ the world-wide exposure from this experience to highlight the challenges facing our native animals and promote more sustainable climate practices.