Last week, my roommate and I had
the privilege of watching The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. It’s a fantastic film and I
highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who are a Colin Firth fans (I
know I am) or have an interest in British history. For those of you who have
not seen it, the story focuses on King George VI (Colin Firth) and his becoming
of King after his brother abdicates the throne. King George VI (known as Bertie
to his family) had an awful speech impediment that he obtained at an early age.
His stammer prevented him from making public appearances and speeches in the
years before he became King. However, once he became King, he did not have the
ability to avoid his obligations to the country. Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) is a speech
therapist that uses his unconventional methods to help Bertie throughout the
film. Late during the film it is revealed that Lionel actually has no formal education
in speech therapy, but uses his experiences and natural talent to help King
George VI. Without killing the end of the movie for those who have not seen it,
Lionel is very good at what he does. Phenomenal, actually.
It dawned on me later that evening
that this was a very good story of leadership in more than one way. King George
VI was born into royalty and was required to be a leader to his country, even
though he was not ready. Lionel, on the other hand, was not formally given a
doctorate, but proved he was a leader through his actions even when they were
not expected of him.
There is a policy originating from
the Council on Pharmacy Management that addresses ‘Leadership as a Professional
Obligation’. It states that: Leadership
is a professional obligation of all pharmacists and not the exclusive
responsibility of pharmacists who hold formal leadership roles or titles. All
pharmacists should accept the obligation to develop and exert leadership skills
to ensure the safe and effective use of medications. Pharmacy schools,
professional organizations, and employers should encourage the development of
these skills among students and practitioners and should provide both formal
training and create opportunities for pharmacists to develop leadership
capacity. (http://connect.ashp.org)
I urge everyone to think about what
this statement really says and how it applies to your situation within the
profession of pharmacy. If not for the leadership and guidance that Lionel
provided to King George VI in a time of need, he may not have gone on to be
such an influential leader during World War II. So whether you’re a student,
clinical pharmacist, resident, educator, director, etc. remember that it’s not
your title that determines your leadership ability, it’s your actions. We all
have the ability to change the profession through our leadership.