Dispensing Leadership: Shrinking the Gap

In episode 14 of Dispensing Leadership, Shawn Bjorndal, PharmD, RPh, and Jesse McCullough, PharmD, explore one of the most practical yet underutilized principles in pharmacy leadership: shrinking the gap between leaders and the people they serve. “There's a world of difference between leading and managing,” said McCullough. “Managers try to treat everybody the same, where leaders understand they have to treat everybody differently—and one of the things leaders do is shrink the gap between where they are and where the people they're intending to lead are.” This principle extends far beyond interpersonal dynamics. From the physical elevation of early pharmacy counters to the private consultation rooms of today, the profession has spent decades literally and figuratively closing the distance between the pharmacist and patient. McCullough recalled a pivotal moment early in his career when a newly diagnosed patient with diabetes appeared at the counter visibly overwhelmed. A simple gesture—reaching across the counter, placing a hand on hers, and offering reassurance—transformed a clinical transaction into a lasting relationship. The same philosophy applies internally. Leaders who proactively greet their teams, share information openly, and seek common ground with prescribers and colleagues create environments with fewer conflicts, stronger connectivity, and greater productivity. As our hosts note, things that are easy to do are equally easy not to do—making intentional gap-closing one of the most powerful, and overlooked, tools in a pharmacy leader’s arsenal. In Dispensing Leadership, a podcast offering from Drug Topics and RPhAlly, Bjorndal and McCullough discuss essential leadership skills for pharmacists, how to develop them, and how to advance the pharmacy profession. All new episodes of Dispensing Leadership will be available in a video format via DrugTopics.com on the second Monday of each month. Check out our most recent episode: The Forbidden Phrase Amongst Every Pharmacy Team.