The biotech and pharma industry are always evolving, especially in today’s time of innovation and rapid changes involving AI. Technical expertise is always needed when it comes to the pharma industry, but leadership is needed to navigate ever-changing regulatory and funding landscapes. Visionary leadership is needed to properly steer companies through these turbulent times, but these kinds of leaders can be hard to find; identifying them can make or break a company.
Many companies promote scientists to leadership roles without properly gauging their ability to lead, which can be dangerous as poor leadership can be damaging. While technical expertise is important, leadership roles bring all kinds of challenges often in high-pressure environments.
Commercial goals, managing cross-functional teams, and securing funding are all things that scientists generally do not spend much time on but will become crucial parts of their jobs if they join leadership. The best leaders can understand the market, make confident decisions, and anticipate industry trends.
In order to identify these kinds of leaders, you need to be able to properly assess their soft skills. Some easy ways to do this come in the interview process, as many standard interview questions are designed to see people’s soft skills. Finding these people before the interview process can be more difficult, but looking for initiative in their resume can indicate this. For instance, mentoring colleagues, leading projects, or engaging in cross-departmental problem-solving.
The two ways to get these leaders in your organization are training and recruitment. If your goal is to promote someone within the organization, you will need to invest some resources in training, especially if this is a scientist without much leadership experience, this could include leadership programs and mentorship from senior leaders.
If you want to look outside the organization, look beyond traditional job postings. Many future leaders are passive candidates who need to be engaged through networking and specialized recruitment efforts. This can be done by considering candidates with both industry expertise and demonstrated leadership experience, often you will need to look for people from non-traditional backgrounds.
The best way to find someone outside the organization is with specialized recruiters who understand how to find these people. Their network of candidates who may not be actively looking but are open to the right opportunity could be who you are looking for and their experience in constantly speaking with all kinds of candidates allows them to identify the right skills.
Ultimately, strong leadership is the key to transforming pharma discoveries into real-world impact. Companies need to find and develop leaders who can inspire teams, drive strategic decisions, and navigate the complexities of the industry. By focusing on leadership recruitment and development, pharma organizations can lead to successful company and life-changing advancements.
