The PLS Pill: The Paradox of Confident Humility

Authored by Erin Ballentine, PharmD, MBA

In his writing “Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve”, Jim Collins describes how Level 5 leaders are what push organizations from “good” to “great”. What is a Level 5 leader? In short, this leader is one that “builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical combination of personal humility plus professional will.”

Are you more concerned with how your success is perceived rather than the outcome for the group?

As a new practitioner pursuing a career in pharmacy leadership, this is a concept I have spent a great deal considering. How do I build my resume, promote myself to potential employers, and push myself forward in my career while maintaining humility? Don’t these two concepts contradict?

When considering humility, I was reminded of the words of C. S. Lewis: “true humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Operating under this understanding of humility, it is possible to put yourself in a position to optimize your career, build your circle of influence, and become a Level 5 leader. The key to doing so is not in hiding your accomplishments or shying away from opportunities to showcase your talents, but rather, this concept is grounded in how you consider your position amongst a team. Is your focus as a leader on the people who report to you? Are you more concerned with how your success is perceived rather than the outcome for the group? With this mindset, it is possible to be a confident, humble leader focused on empowering and encouraging the other leaders within your team.

The mindset of confident, humble leadership is not one that requires work experience, residency training, or board certification. It is one that can be practiced as a student pharmacist, a new practitioner, or a veteran pharmacist across all settings of healthcare.