title: Pharmacy executive leadership issues and associated skills, knowledge, and abilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify challenges that current and future pharmacy executives are facing or will face in the future and to define what skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) are required to successfully negotiate these challenges.
  
  
  METHODS
  Delphi method for executive decision making.
  
  
  METHODS
  Civilian pharmacy profession.
  
  
  METHODS
  110 pharmacists who graduated from the GlaxoSmithKline Executive Management Program for Pharmacy Leaders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two iterations of the Delphi method for executive decision making separated by an expert panel content analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Round 1--participants were asked to identify five major issues they believed to be of greatest importance to pharmacy leaders in the next 5-10 years and name specific SKAs that might be needed by future leaders to successfully deal with those issues. An expert panel reviewed the issues, classified issues into specific domains, and titled each domain. Round 2-participants rated the SKAs on a 7-point scale according to their individual assessment of importance in each domain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For Delphi rounds 1 and 2, response rates were 21.8% and 18.2%, respectively. More than 100 total issue statements were identified. The expert panel sorted the issues into five domains: management and development of the pharmacy workforce, pharmacy finance, total quality management of work-flow systems, influences on the practice of pharmacy, and professional pharmacy leadership. Five of the top 15 SKAs-and all four highest ranked items--came from the professional pharmacy leadership domain, including ability to see the big picture, ability to demonstrate the value of pharmacy services, ability to lead and manage in an ethical manner, and skills for influencing an organization's senior leadership.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Through successful integration of communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving techniques, future public-sector pharmacy executives will be better equipped to effectively position their organizations and the profession for the challenges that lie ahead.
authors.affiliation: Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112, USA. andrew.meadows@maxwell.af.mil
authors.forename: Andrew B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.forename: Lucinda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Maine
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Keyes
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Kenn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Finstuen
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description / Q000592:standards; D007857:Leadership; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000592:standards; D010605:Pharmacy Administration / Q000592:standards*; D011340:Problem Solving; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards