By Outsider

Do you know where we’re going?  I don’t.  We have “leaders”, but I don’t know where they’re going.  Do they?  Do you think we’re being led anywhere in particular? No?  Me neither.   

Leadership.  I looked it up.  It’s a process of social influence that maximises the effort of other towards achievement of a goal.  That seems more relevant than ever right now.  It’s a term that’s being extensively used in the NHS; its Seacole leadership programme has just been opened up to pharmacists.  It’s meant to support individuals on their journey to become effective leaders in practise, not just theory.

But that definition makes my point.

Community pharmacy lacks a clear direction.  We’ve got no goals (correct me if I’m wrong). We’ve had enough visions and we talk about “leadership”.  But are our leaders, at all levels and across the sector, exhibiting leadership qualities that inspire, empower and/or support others towards a goal?  I don’t think so.  Blame somebody else.  Bluster and BS. 

If we want to embrace leadership in its truest form, to inspire the sector and its people to believe in their own capabilities, and to rise to their true potential, it might be easier to start with what leadership isn’t. 

It’s not about power.  Don’t create exclusive alliances and please, don’t create any more siloes.  They only create mistrust. They even discomfort their (often silent) followers. Stifling a voice or creating an atmosphere where an individual feels unwelcome, undermined or ignored, will only isolate them further.  It’s hardly going to create results or develop our future leadership potential.  You might feel like a leader in the short-term, but you won’t be one who can be trusted, if you can’t be spoken to honestly without fear of the consequences.

Empowering others and being truly supportive of success is key to building momentum. Ensuring fairness and demonstrating integrity in dealings with others will help build personal credibility and that of the sector among our stakeholders.  Pursuing personal interests or agendas, or demeaning others, won’t. 

Great leaders know that they owe their position to the contribution of the group of people that make anything successful.  Acknowledging and recognising that effort, however small, is vital. It’s time for people to talk about team contributions at all levels, rather than their own.  Most importantly, real leaders don’t deflect responsibility when things don’t go so well.

Leaders don’t have all the answers. I don’t care who they are. Instead of steamrollering ahead to maintain control and their own profile, what’s needed is leaders who listen, who find the best people to collaborate to get better results.  Leaders who empower contributors in productive and fruitful relationships which deliver. That’s what’s really needed.

The new faces of pharmacy nationally need to bridge the gap to coalface clinicians and teams to build trust.  We need transparency and honest dealings.  We need new mechanisms for two-way dialogue where people feel free to express genuine concerns without being perceived as a liability, or even worse a threat.  We’ve been patronised enough.

We need them to deliver to ensure the continued success and sustainability of our sector.  They need us to be inspired enough to follow them.  And, as clinicians, we need to see effective leadership as a core skill that’s important for our future.

So, let’s work out where we are going.  Let’s create some proper goals.  Let’s set some time limits.  Let’s share information and support others to do them same.  Let’s use the insights and expertise of people across the sector, in a spirit that encourages participation and recognises others’ efforts.  Let’s not keep all the glory – although there’s been precious little of that recently – to ourselves.  Let’s involve people and thank them for their contribution.  A little gratitude for might go a long way. Let’s inspire excellence and not fear others’ success.  Let’s remember, there’s a greater cause to fight for. 

We have our part to play too. We need to ask questions. “What needs to change and why? What could improve this situation? What can we do to help” and “how can we support you to deliver for us?” We need to be brave if we have to.  Speaking up will help leaders become the best they can be. Critical and negative attitudes will not help anyone.  It’s time to move away from the blame game and take collective responsibility.  Openness, honesty and listening to each other with respect, will cultivate the right atmosphere and build a new culture for a sustainable future.

We just need to start.

Outsider is a community pharmacist