What’s Your Style? Leadership on Pharmacy

If you’re in a leadership position within a pharmacy, clinic or even hospital pharmacy setting, we don’t have to tell you you’re in a bit of a “different” type of leadership position. After all, it’s not often that leaders manager people who tend to have the exact same level of education as themselves.

We are talking, of course, about managing PharmDs. You have a PharmD and so, probably, do your subordinates.

So you’re managing people who have a great deal of education, are quite smart – if not brilliant – and have plenty of ideas about how to run things and, more importantly, how to improve on your pharmacy’s processes, sales, retention efforts, etc.

Balance is your answer here. You’re going to have to work out a happy medium in which you let your pharmacist team members have a say in the decision making. You’ll need to listen to them, heed their ideas and make sure they know you want, and appreciate and use their feedback. At the same time, though, you’ll need to impart enough authority to let your team know that you’re the boss and so the ultimate decisions rest with you.

In the meantime, you’ll need to give your pharmacists plenty of leeway to allow them to work independently. With that in mind, set up processes that allow your pharmacists some decision-making authority. How much will depend on your team’s ability and your comfort with giving up control (Hint: Aim to give up a bit more than you’re comfortable with to see how you can handle it).

But you need to be available to give guidance and direction. In other words, give your pharmacists a wide berth in which to work, but hang out on the sidelines in a visible manner so that they know you’re there if they need you.

You’ll need to know your staff “inside and out,” all their quirks, strengths, ways of doing things, how they like best to be “led.”

You’ll also need to be as transparent as possible within the boundaries of your role. Ditto for your department direction. Honesty, forthrightness, a willingness to role your sleeves up in a pinch, and fairness will go a very long way to earning you the respect of your professional subordinates.

What kind of leader are you? Are you in a leadership position now? If so, how do you find supervising other pharmacy professionals? Any tips or strategies you could offer?

If you’re itching to move up into a leadership position and have a few years of pharmacy experience behind you, the recruiters at Rx relief® want to speak with you! Send us your CV or resume today and we’ll be in touch!