Blogs

Do you have leadership through out your department or workgroup? Turn the Ship Around! How to Create Leadership at Every Level by L. David Marquet discusses his shift from the leader-follower approach where people wait to be told what to do to the leader-leader approach. As with all my blog posts I am not attempting to completely review the book but rather pick out some key points that pharmacy leaders can use.

The author indicates that when he first took over this ship he didn’t understand that the team he had inherited did not have the requisite technical competence to make higher-level decisions and he hadn’t trained them to the new level. He advises that you walk your department or workgroup talking to your people being as curious as possible and asking questions. What he found was his people were focusing too much on complying with regulations rather than working to make the ship the most operationally capable possible.  He implemented the following;

• The “think out loud” approach, which is encouraging everyone to say what they saw, thought, believed, were skeptical about, feared, worried about, and hoped for the future. 
• The philosophy that they were in charge of their destiny.
• Having them execute specific goals not methods which freed them from following prescribed way of doing things and they thus came up with many ingenious ways of getting the job done.
• Having clarity, which means people at all levels clearly and completely understand what the department/workgroup is all about.  
• As a leader training approach the “I intend to” which is having people verbalize what they want to do thus allowing the leader to affirm or redirect. As the person becomes more skilled they can stop clearing decisions.

As a summary, by having everyone lead you are recognizing the inherent genius, energy, and creativity in all people, and allowing those talents to emerge.

How can you encourage more of your people to be little l leaders on their shift or in their practice?  Please share your insights.