Pharmacy Leadership
Pharmacy Leaders
In healthcare, pharmacy in particular, there is always a great need for effective leadership. Our arena is complex. We must deal with evolving clinical issues, competitive and financial pressures, politics, customer satisfaction, technology evaluation and adoption, staff concerns, and reams of regulation. There are also serious issues regarding our professions, ranging from education to regulation and the future of the profession. It seems clear that there is a lot of reason to have highly effective leadership.
Where do Leaders Come From?
An often debated leadership point was the question of whether leaders are born, or made. Not surprisingly, research on identical twins indicates that leadership is more “made” than “born” (1) Anyone can be a leader and leaders can be everyone. In fact, leadership is often situational. At times we lead, at times we follow. Occasionally, people set out to become leaders. They are easy to recognize. We have all seen them: they take advanced courses, volunteer for extra assignments, look forward to a promotion, or take charge of situations.
If Leaders are Made, Then How Do We Learn to Lead?
The answer to this question is that we learn to lead in the same way we learn anything else. It is as simple and complicated as that. It is no different than learning to read or develop a skill in sports. We see it, we try it, we practice and practice and practice. If we are lucky, we have training or educational opportunities. If we are luckier, we will have someone take an interest in us and give us encouragement and feedback: a mentor.
First, share leadership opportunities with future leaders. As an experienced leader, teach leadership through example, mentorship, and education. As a leader today, please take the time to give experiential opportunities to future leaders. Show them, coach them, encourage them. You can have a dramatic impact on the likelihood that someone close to you will evolve into tomorrow’s leader by what you do today.
Second: seize the opportunity to learn. Young or old, we never stop learning. Be willing to practice and make mistakes. Keep in mind, like any other skill you had to learn, there will be successes and failures. Learn from them both. Be fearless.
Ten Basic Skills of Outstanding Leadership
Are you unsure where to begin? Here are 10 important leadership skills (2): Given the breadth of this list, it should be easy to periodically delegate a task or take a teaching moment with one of your staff members or students. Generously share the opportunities to lead with others.
Integrity
Having a strong sense of integrity and moral values goes hand-in-hand with being a respectable leader. This trait, combined with sincerity and honesty, assures those you lead know you have good intentions for not only the company’s well-being but theirs as well.
Vision & Strategy
Many of us have a vision for the next “big thing”, yet without an adequate strategy or effective communication skills, those big ideas of ours are nothing more than pipe dreams. Outstanding leaders not only have a vision, but they also strategize ways to implement it and share their ideas with their employees in ways they will understand and best help implement those ideas into reality.
Communication
Communication is essential. Above we mentioned how it is important to share a vision with team members, this is done through communication. Without strong communication, or the ability to explain things so that members of your team understand, that can’t be fully on-board because goals and objectives weren’t explained to them clearly. Be sure to touch-up on your public speaking skills as well as general social skills.
Relationships
Through effective communication, relationships can be built with your team as well as with others within your industry. Ensuring that you’re honest, transparent, and reasonable you will be a hard person to not build a relationship with. Listen to your employees, clients, and everyone you come in contact with. Most importantly, be there. Observe, and give meaningful feedback. If the feedback is critical be sure to be empathetic and compassionate to the other person, but don’t avoid confronting them. Addressing concerns is important, and the ability to do that well can actually strengthen a working relationship.
Persuasion / Influence / Negotiation
A good leader can be convincing. With clear communication, leveraging trust, and being transparent a true leader can navigate their way to the desired outcome.
Adaptability
Things change every day, a leader understands this and doesn’t hesitate to change direction and adjust a course accordingly. Leaders also know how to take responsibility when a path they lead their team down does not work out, but they also learn from those missteps. There is no reason to fear failure when it is used as an opportunity to learn. Keep your mind open and face setbacks as chance to find a better way to reach a goal.
Teamwork
Independence is important, but being a leader means leading a team. In order to lead that team, you also need to work with them effectively. Don’t turn down collaborative opportunities, reward employees for their contributions and give them credit. Be open to team member’s ideas, ask for their feedback, and encourage them to be honest if they’re unsure of a plan.
Coaching and Development
This not only applies to team members but also yourself. As humans, we never stop developing. Our brains are constantly changing and adapting to our experiences. We not only need to nurture the success of our team, but we need to push ourselves to grow as well. Stay curious, and go out of your way to learn about new trends or current events within the industry. Promote an open workplace where employees feel comfortable coming to you for advice, and you also regularly seek their input.
Decision-Making
When good decisions are made you strengthen trust with your team, which allows for future decisions to be made quicker. Once a decision is made always communicate it with your team. Layout objectives and goals for everyone to meet, then meet with them regularly to asses progress and adapt accordingly.
Planning
The best decisions are made with adequate planning and preparation. Analyze the potential for different outcomes, expect road-bumps and prepare for ways to adapt to them before they happen. Long-term planning requires taking a step back and looking at the big picture. Keep your end goal in mind every step of the way. It can be easy to get caught in the details, but when you notice yourself dwelling make it a point to take that step back to return to the big picture.
It is up to us, those leading today, to ensure that leadership development continues for generations. One of your greatest gifts to our profession’s future may be taking an interest in another, and giving him/her an opportunity to develop her/his own leadership skills.