Leadership without fear: embracing the role you’re already in

Leadership is one of those words that can feel intimidating, inaccessible or even uncomfortable. It often seems reserved for someone else—someone older with more experience. When many people think of leaders, they picture someone with a fancy title like CEO, president, or director.But the truth is: leadership isn’t about position. It’s about perspective, action and how you show up.And if you work in pharmacy, leadership isn’t optional. It’s essential.We didn’t start out thinking of ourselves as leaders. In fact, much of our leadership emerged without formal training, which is the norm for many. Both of us came to leadership in different ways. For Jaclyn, it started with asking hard questions about where the profession is going. For Jesse, it started with being dropped into a leadership role at age 25, leading people on a team twice his age and serving patients three times older.Neither of us felt ready, and truth be told, we were not ready. Not in the slightest.But leadership can be learned, and it must be practised.Many people struggle with leadership. This may be due to experiences we’ve had where we were led poorly. As such, leadership opportunities can present a number of challenges.Fear is one of the biggest challenges to effective leadership. Fear of getting it wrong. Fear of resistance. Fear of being misunderstood. And in pharmacy, where the culture often rewards rule-following and risk-aversion, this fear can be amplified.In pharmacy, change is one of our greatest challenges, not because we don’t know what needs to change, but because we’re afraid to take the first step.“I don’t think pharmacists are trained to initiate change,” Jaclyn said.“We’re trained to follow the rules.”Sometimes it’s fear of rocking the boat, the comfort of routine, or the weight of expectations. Other times, a team leader is overwhelmed and can’t see the forest through the trees. But making even small changes, like going paperless or reorganizing a workflow, can unlock time, energy and team morale. And yet, those simple changes often face the most resistance.Why? Because people haven’t been shown what’s possible. And they’re scared.What we’ve learned, often the hard way, is that good leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about setting a direction, being willing to speak up and knowing you’ll make mistakes along the way. Then doing it anyway.In one conversation, Jesse put it this way: “Leadership, and good leadership, can be learned.”The challenge is that most of us have learned it passively, by watching others, absorbing culture, and defaulting to what’s always been done. But what happens when those systems no longer work?We’ve both been in rooms where “the way we’ve always done it” was the loudest voice. That mindset is dangerous. As our profession shifts, we need leaders who are willing to reimagine what’s possible, even if it means facing resistance.Change is survivable. In fact, it’s where growth happens. Jaclyn’s journey was shaped by two fast-paced career transitions that were, in her words, “terrifying.” But they also rewired her perspective on risk. Change didn’t feel scary anymore, it felt like a possibility.Leadership is often uncomfortable. After all, when you lead someone you will often find yourself in a new and unfamiliar place. This discomfort is a stepping stone to success, and a natural component of the change process. The more you lean into the discomfort of leadership, the more confident you become. And if you keep showing up with authenticity and consistency, eventually you’ll become the example to follow. Leadership is about saying the right thing at the right time in the right way—and then saying it again. The saying it again part can be terrifying, especially if you felt ignored or judged the first time you said it.When this happens, it is often easier to give up. But, as Jesse often says: “Leaders are repeaters.”Jaclyn felt this way recently when being asked for input in a meeting. The first time she brought forward her suggestion, it was largely ignored. When the second opportunity came up to repeat it, she hesitated and the opportunity passed her by. Thankfully, a third chance arose and she leapt. Despite the fear and panic she was feeling on the inside, she put forth her suggestion, re-framed to ensure a better understanding from peers and with outward confidence. This time her feedback was accepted and implemented. Leadership means trying again and againPutting yourself out there in a leadership position is never about perfection. Once we know we will miss the target more frequently than we hit it, we begin to learn to expect to try, and try it again. Your first attempt will always be both the best and worst, because it’s your only. Knowing this can bring you comfort and self-encouragement to do it again, and improve! From there, you learn to reframe, reshape and grow. That’s true whether you’re refining a workflow, improving your communication, providing feedback or mentoring a team.It is no surprise that the people closest to a problem are often the best equipped to solve it. If you’re noticing something that could be better, you may be the best person to lead that change. Not because you have all the answers, but because you are the most informed and care enough to try.We need to give people permission to experiment, iterate, and even fail safely. Not with patient care, of course, but with workflows, systems, and ideas. We need to stop equating perfection with professionalism.As Jesse reminds us: “The first time you do something, it’s simultaneously the best and the worst you’ve ever done it.”So do it. Then make it better.That’s leadership without fear. It’s not about bravado or hierarchy. It’s about action, reflection and resilience.(Speaking of first attempts, this article happens to be the first piece of writing we’ve done together. So, in the truest sense it’s also our best and worst. So far.)Leadership doesn’t start when you get a title. It starts the moment someone looks to you and asks, “What should we do?” It starts when you notice something broken and choose to speak up. It starts when you see someone nearby in a place of a struggle. It starts when you decide to lead yourself well, because self-leadership is the foundation for leading anyone else.We’re not perfect leaders. We still have a lot to learn. But we are committed ones. And we believe the future of pharmacy depends on more people embracing strong leadership, not someday, but now.So here’s your permission slip: You are a leader. Stop waiting for someone to name you a leader. You have permission to become a better leader who makes life better for everyone around you.Start where you are.Lead with courage.Be a leader who listens, tries, adjusts and repeats.Because the profession and the people we serve need you now more than ever.Jaclyn Katelnikoff is a passionate community pharmacist, leader, and advocate dedicated to shaping the future of pharmacy through empowerment and innovation.Jesse McCullough is founder of Keystone Pharmacy Insights in Cochrantown, Pa.

Leadership without fear: embracing the role you’re already in

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