Following is leading

Followership is an act of leadership, and as an MSL practicing the art of the role, your colleagues will look to you for your reaction when new goals or directions are shared with the team. How do you show up for this role? What will your colleagues see and hear in your response? Are you able to manage your emotions when you have objections to the direction provided? What is your tone when you ask clarifying questions? What does your non-verbal behavior say?

Aligning with and supporting the strategy and direction provided by your leadership team is an act of leadership.
·      What emotions do you experience when new is shared? Are they productive or distracting from the mission?
·      How do you manage yourself? Are you more reactive than reflective? How will others interpret your reaction?
·      Do you recognize your patterns and triggers? Once identified, there is an opportunity to plan your response.

Recognizing and managing your emotions is a critical part of being in a leadership role. Pay attention to your emotions to better understand what triggers them. Plan how you will handle a situation you know may be an emotional trigger, including a response that will help you focus on the goal rather than your emotions. Take a deep breath, hold it, breathe out slowly. It’s necessary to experience emotions but the key is to be mindful of how you react, especially in front of others who look to you as a role model. If you’ve got an eye on a role managing other in the future, this is the time to develop the skills that are required AND people are watching.

No doubt you realize that the goals that are rolled out to MSLs are the result of hours of discussion and negotiation which include many trade-off decisions that will influence how you spend your time. Having this shared purpose brings a team together. Be the person that helps solidify this purpose through leading as a follower.

My inner expertise is curiosity

Meetings and discussions are prime opportunities to make ourselves heard, but often hesitancy, embarrassment, and simple ignorance prevent us from saying anything.

I was recently with a group of men who were discussing a baseball game – their vast knowledge of the game was met with equal amounts of enthusiasm! My ‘sports chat’ however is limited to when I watch the Olympics every four years, and the odd demolition derby or two during the summer. I am quite literally clueless with nothing to contribute. Nothing! So, I sat in silence occasionally nodding my head to show some semblance of, well, anything.

Being an extrovert, one can only do this for so long before breaking so I took a different approach. “You mentioned ______, the first baseman. In your opinion what makes him so special?” At that moment I was desperately hoping the guy was the first baseman! All of a sudden, an entirely new conversation began with me there too. The ‘guys’ all had an opinion… all I had to do was ask a few more questions out of real curiosity (and complete ignorance!) to be able to join in.

My inner expertise is curiosity, not baseball. This same skill allows me to communicate with executives, the homeless, snobs, us commoners, even with those I don’t like a whole lot! Phew, this time I made it out of a sports discussion with my self-esteem intact…and I even found out what a first baseman is supposed to do!

From chameleon to connector: advancing MSL impact through empathy

On Monday, I shared how Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs)—like chameleons—adapt their agenda and style to meet the moment. Today, let’s take that one step further.

Taking our listening to the next level is when we demonstrate empathy. Here we identify and address the emotions expressed by the KOL based on what we see and hear in an authentic manner. This takes practice but when we are empathic, we move away from trying to fix a problem and can see what someone needs or feel what they feel, fueling our understanding of their perspective. Here are some ways to show your empathy:

• “How will this impact you?”
• “I can see why that would upset you.”
• “I appreciate you sharing that with me.”
• “That must have been frustrating.”
• "What do you need from me?"

Embedding these skills into our way of working demonstrates active listening. Here, we correctly identify the emotions behind the KOLs words to get to the underlying issue or challenge. The connection you make when empathetic and actively listen will enhance your relationship and provide better insights and outcomes.

KOLs deal with many pressures throughout the day, and your meeting may follow a tough conversation with a patient or a fight with the insurance company about trying to secure your medication. Adjusting to your environment like a chameleon and reading the emotions of a situation through active listening is an important part of the art of being an impactful MSL. KOLs will engage at a different level when they feel heard and understood.

Consider your last three KOL meetings. How would you rate your listening skills? What one change can you make to take your listening to the next level this week?

Pull ideas from others

Instead of always pushing your perspective, try pulling ideas from others. Ask, listen, and create space for voices to emerge. Watch this video to learn more!

What do chameleons and MSLs have in common?

Perhaps this is just too obvious a question. Chameleons and Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) adapt to their environment and their emotions, enhancing communication. As an MSL, part of your art is to adjust for each interaction—including your agenda, approach, and the science you discuss. Sometimes you lead the discussion—but most of your time should be spent listening. The art of being an MSL is knowing when to set your agenda aside and let the KOL take the discussion where they want.

No matter the situation, active listening is the key to success. Remember those insights you’ve been asked to deliver? Actively listening will uncover them. Honing this skill requires practice and consciousness to move to the highest level of active listening in every conversation.

We’re all comfortable reacting to what we hear, providing feedback or answering a question. This is our quick response that doesn’t involve contemplation, just a quick reaction to the point or question posed. Think about this like shutting an open door. Instead, paraphrase what you’ve heard to gain confirmation that you correctly heard and interpreted what they’ve said. Often the KOL will take their thoughts to a deeper level and give you more insights. Asking for clarification will allow you to elucidate additional thoughts by asking questions to probe deeper and illuminate the underlying concerns.

Perhaps these three skills are second nature and tools you use routinely as an MSL. If not, they’re great ways to build rapport with your KOLs and dig deeper into their true insights and experience.

Want to take your listening one step further? On Wednesday, I’ll share practical tips for bringing empathy into your MSL conversations—and why it makes all the difference. Don’t miss it.

“I felt heard, thank you.”

“I felt heard, thank you.” This was the response I had from recent interactions with two different people. I didn’t ask for the response and frankly, I might have passed it off as a simple “thank you.” But the earnestness of their first three words took me by surprise.

It made me wonder how often I may have missed this message before. I also wondered how many times I may have missed helping someone to feel heard, with my focus instead working to “solve for” or advise or placate or quiz. Those people may have felt better heard by their dog, cat, or budgie!

Making someone feel heard doesn’t have to be complex—paraphrasing and empathy are powerful tools for simple communication.

When was the last time you said to yourself, “I felt heard”—or better yet, the last time someone told you, “I felt heard, thank you”?

Make your presentations more powerful and impactful!

When you're giving a presentation, your audience is thinking one thing: "Can you help me solve my problem?"

Get straight to the answer. Be clear, be direct, and focus on what matters most to them.

Watch this quick video to learn how to make your presentations more powerful and impactful!

Doing the right thing: compliance isn't always easy

Have you ever received a request to do something that your gut told you wasn’t the right approach from a compliance perspective? It may have been a déjà vu moment, transporting you back to the numerous policies and SOPs you’ve read that outline the expectations for your role. I view building compliance strength in the same light as going to the gym. Building strength in the gym will help prepare me for challenges such as the distance or elevation of a hike. Building our compliance strength will help us navigate unexpected challenges in the field, which is an important component of the art of being an impactful MSL. Understanding of the “why” behind your company’s policies, procedures, and guidance will strengthen the base knowledge from which you can draw when an unpredictable situation arises and your gut chimes in. At the recent Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) meeting, I attended a workshop led by Adeola D., Pamela Lonzer, and Monchiere Commodore, who reviewed some important reminders and led us through a good discussion:

·        Upholding the integrity of the science we discuss is critical. Fair balance and scientific balance are critical during scientific exchange. Enough said!

·        The “Safe harbor” for non-promotional scientific exchange has guardrails, even with the new SIUU Communications Draft Guidance. Are you confident you know how to work within these guardrails as defined by your company?

·        Minimizing the risks or overstating the benefits of a product during a conversation with an HCP is misbranding (and a false claim). How do you ensure balance in each conversation, every time, even with the KOL’s with whom you have a long relationship?

·        There are clearly compliant and non-compliant ways of working in with commercial, there is a lot of grey in between. How does your company interpret that grey and do you reflect that interpretation in the field?

The workshop included an activity where we identified risks, assessed severity, determined the control, and monitored the outcomes. It was valuable to hear the different perspectives from others on their interpretations and experiences. There was no “group think” at our table! It was a good reminder that grey can be interpreted in different ways and depends on the space you are navigating (i.e. launch, device). Each company has a different risk tolerance which will be reflected in the types of activities that are implemented.

When has your gut chimed in to alert you to assess the compliance of a request?

Write the letter

Write the letter you were always going to write.
To your clients.
To a colleague.
To your children, spouse, or partner.
Maybe even to a former professor or a mentor who shaped your path.
What about that physician who encouraged you to follow your specialty—or that quiet, steady presence who doesn’t realize how special they are?

Whether it’s handwritten or an email (handwritten does have a lasting magic), it’s never too late to say what matters.

A simple letter can become a lasting legacy.

Who’s on your list?

Building strategy brick by brick

It’s always a good day when you get to play with Legos, and it’s an added bonus when you get to do it while working. At the recent Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) meeting, I attended a workshop on the “Best practices for building and leading medical affairs in a resource-constrained environment.” The workshop faculty included Rachel Leder Couchenour, Marianne Kenny, PharmD, and Melissa Wanner, PharmD, who brought their extensive experience to the conversation about building for launch with limited resources to optimize patient outcomes. Using a case study, we built the strategy using different colored Legos represented the many medical affairs activities, with the number of Legos selected for each color representing the budget we allocated to each activity. As you can imagine, there was spirited discussion about what to prioritize and the level of funding based on the participants’ experience and expertise.

We worked as a team, shared our perspectives, listened to others, and made the best decision(s) in the time allotted. Here are my takeaways:

· In this fast-paced environment, trade-off decisions are required.

· If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.

· Listening to others, we all gained wisdom.

· The budget only goes so far! Ensure you consider immediate needs but give thought to the investments that will impact your long-term strength.

The leadership team may need to enlist help through outsourcing if it’s not time to build the team. There are various outsourcing models available based on your needs and strategies. The facilitators did a nice job outlining the various approaches they’ve used providing examples of where outsourcing supported their success.

As a Medical Science Liaison (MSL), you may not be involved in these decisions, but you play a critical role in their success based on your support for those decisions. Part of the art of having impact as an MSL is to understand the strategic priorities and align your execution in the field to deliver results aligned. Demonstrate your value while working within those priorities. Provide feedback (with solutions!) based on your insights from the field but avoid pulling attention away from the priorities once they are set.

Our discussion led to a pile of disorganized, individual Legos organized into a thoughtful (and colorful) structure that represented our team’s thoughts about strategy.

How have you used your field experience to support the needs of the medical affairs team in a resource constrained environment?

Do I trust you? Building high performing teams

Psychological safety of teams was one of the valuable sessions I attended at the recent Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) meeting. Psychological safety means you are comfortable speaking up, making mistakes, and being vulnerable because you are confident you won’t be punished or humiliated for doing so. The discussion was led by Fatima Ahmad, Lori Mouser, and Sarah Jarvis who reminded us of the importance of trust to team success and employee well-being. Learning from mistakes and sharing vulnerability has helped their teams learn, grow, and thrive to foster the organization’s success.

How do you build psychological safety—and the trust that naturally follows? And what are the consequences when that trust is missing? Amy Edmondson’s TED Talk, “Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace,” offers powerful insights into both questions.

Key ways to build psychological safety and trust include:

- Sincerely valuing the voices of others

- Actively listening to understand and consider dissenting views

- Demonstrating vulnerability

- Embracing and encouraging feedback

Having an open dialogue where mistakes can be discussed and learned from, the team will grow stronger. Foster an environment where asking questions, including the tough ones, is valued. If we withhold questions, we withhold learning and innovation not only ourselves but the broader team. We also miss the opportunity to create a better path forward. People working in high-trust environments report less stress, more energy at work, and less burnout. This fosters an environment with more engagement and higher productivity.

As a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) practicing the art of the role, you can support your team in building psychological safety and trust by role modeling key behaviors—including vulnerability. This includes openly communicating your ideas and insights, valuing diverse perspectives, creating space for less experienced MSLs to share their thoughts and feel heard, and celebrating team wins.

How can you contribute to fostering safety and trust on your team?

Know when to walk away

One of the most powerful techniques I’ve learned from expert negotiators?
Know when to walk away.

When a deal is clearly misaligned, forcing it can do more harm than good. The ability to pause, decline, and reassess is a skill—and a sign of confidence, not weakness.

Every time I think of this, I’m reminded of the 1968 classic by The Four Tops: “Walk Away Renée.” Take a moment to enjoy the brilliance of this group: Watch here: https://lnkd.in/dzc5ahc4

Trust your expertise

Trust your expertise—it’s your greatest asset when presenting. Watch this quick video to learn more and let me know what you think in the comments!

Staying focused in a distracted world

Things have felt a little chaotic in the world lately. I can admit that I’ve been distracted, making it difficult to get things done. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes, from the basic buzzing of my phone/watch (which mainly consists of spam calls), to numerous irrelevant emails that overtake the important ones, to the opinions being voiced through every medium about the events happening in our world. The overwhelming nature of news that impacts us and our friends/family/colleagues can leave us feeling down. Can you relate?

Are you staying on track? It is well known that our productivity decreases when we’re distracted or not feeling our best, but we still have obligations to fulfil and goals to move forward. How are you staying on track? Here’s what I’m trying to implement:

·      Putting my phone aside (and take off my watch if needed)
·      Decide what I will conquer in the next 45 min. I set an alarm and focus on the project at hand. If I think of something else I need to do, I make a quick note and get back to the project.
·      When the timer goes off, I can go back to emails or my “to do” list for 10-15 min and then return to the project. Repeat.

I’ve found that once I gain momentum, time flies by and I’ve accomplished more than I expected.

To be an impactful MSL, it is necessary to stay focused to meet expectations whether that is related to your most important KOL’s request, a project for the team, or just doing the necessary administrative tasks. How are you dealing with the distractions you’re facing?

“Well, here’s my opinion about that…”

“Well, here’s my opinion about that…” Do you ever feel your shoulders tense when you hear that phrase? I do!

I’ve noticed I have a visceral, negative reaction to self-described “opinionated people.” It’s not that I don’t value strong perspectives—quite the opposite.
But when someone leads with “Here’s my opinion,” it often lands as competitive, rigid, or even dismissive. There's an undertone of superiority that can shut down meaningful conversation before it starts.

What’s the alternative?

- A thoughtful question.
- An affirmation of someone else's experience.
- An invitation to explore the topic together.
- A willingness to be curious—not just right.

Of course, this could just be my own opinion (see what I did there?). But I believe that in a world full of noise and quick takes, how we share matters as much as what we share.

As leaders, colleagues, and humans, we always have a choice: Do we want to be right, or do we want to be connected?

What’s your experience with “opinionated” communication? Does it spark dialogue—or defensiveness?

Aligning MSL goals with corporate strategy

It’s that time of year… Goals are being set and rolled out. The goals for the MSL team and how they support corporate and/or Research & Development goals are critical to help you prioritize your goals in your territory and your time. Do you have line of sight to how your goals support corporate success? While not all corporate goals are relevant for your work as an MSL, your work certainly directly impacts at least a couple of those goals.

When planning your quarter and specifically the upcoming meetings on your calendar, each meeting should support your goals and move the mission forward. This is the currency of the MSL role.
·      As you review your goals, are leadership’s expectations for you clear? If not, gain clarity. Ask questions.
·      What resources are available to support each goal? If it’s not clear, let leadership know what you need and support the development of those resources.
·      Each KOL has different interests which may not directly align with what leadership is asking you to discuss. How will you balance these goals with those of the KOL?

We all know that the art of being an MSL is meeting the expectations of the company while bringing meaningful information to each of your KOLs based on their individual needs and interests. How do you bring value to both your company and your KOLs?

Light Touch

Sometimes, a light touch is the most powerful way to communicate—especially when the stakes are high or emotions are running strong.

Watch this short video to learn how a softer approach can create more connection, not less.

The secret sauce of great colleagues

When you reflect on your career and the wonderful people you’ve worked with, which coworkers were amazing? You undoubtedly have an extensive list but narrow it down to your top three. It’s tough but necessary work. Think about what makes these three stand out above the rest. Take time with this reflection and make a list of the characteristics that set them apart. Was it technical knowledge? Their intelligence? Was it their empathy or emotional intelligence? What was their secret sauce?

When you look across the list of characteristics, what do you notice? Do you see a trend? Their specific qualities may be different, I suspect what you value about them is their relationship skills. Being smart is important but the secret sauce is being able to navigate people successfully. How many of those relationship skills are transferable from being a great coworker to being an impactful MSL? If someone made a list about your skills, how would it compare? How do you rank yourself? What opportunities do you have to optimize your relationship skills to provide more impact as an MSL?

What are the most important relationship skills an MSL must demonstrate to practice the art of an MSL and to have impact?

Presentation slides

If your presentation slides are packed with text, your audience has to choose: read or listen? Spoiler: they’ll read—and tune you out.

Want to keep your audience engaged? Design your slides for listening, not reading.

Pro tip: Create simple, impactful slides for your talk—and send detailed "archive slides" afterward for reference.

Watch this short video to learn more!

What Moana can teach us about empathy and leadership

Moana is a Disney princess who is proud of where she’s from and doesn’t back down from new challenges. If you’re familiar with the character, there are probably many things you like about her. What stands out for me is how she demonstrates selflessness and empathy for her community as well as each of the individuals with whom she interacts. Her empathy drives her journey.

We talk about empathy as it is an important part of how and why we connect with other people. Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand other people’s feelings and perspectives. That’s the core piece. Emotional empathy is the next level when we can feel what someone else is feeling, which will lead to a deeper connection. And, at its highest level, empathy concern means we can sense what the other person needs from us and calls us to act. Who have you encountered demonstrates this level of empathy? How did it make you feel?

When interacting with your KOLs, how do you demonstrate empathy? Empathy is important to build trusting relationships. There are many ways to do this including through active listening:

·        Give the KOL your full attention
·        Ask good, relevant questions based on what they’ve shared
·        Don’t judge or interrupt them as they share

Are you able to discern what they need from you or are you in problem solving mode? In her journey, Moana demonstrated empathy to many people but it’s perhaps her interactions with Maui where she demonstrates it the most through her patience and understanding despite his reluctance (and arrogance) to support her. How will you show empathy during your next KOL meeting?