1. THE IMPORTANCE OF VISION IN LEADERSHIP
John E. Clark, PharmD, MS, FASHP
Director, Pharmacy Residency Programs
Assistant Professor, Pharmacotherapeutics & Clinical Research
University of South Florida | College of Pharmacy
Tampa, Florida

2. OBJECTIVES
Explain the importance of vision as a leader

3. VISION
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” ~ Carl Jung

4. VISIONARIES
Oprah Winfrey, at the age of 22, was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was ‘unfit for TV.”
Steven Speilberg was rejected from film school, not once…not twice…but three times.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Thomas Edison failed some 10,000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb.
What led these successful and talented people to continue despite failure and rejection?

5. WHAT IS VISION?
Vision is a mental picture of the future. It is an idea of what the future can hold, but has not yet happened.
Vision is the thing inside of us that guides us. It creates a desire to grow and improve. Vision embodies our hopes and ideals. It gives us a sense of purpose. Visions brings us flashes or glimpses of what is possible.
Vision is when architects dream of new buildings and designs. Or when business people dream of growing their business.

6. WHY IS VISION IMPORTANT?
Vision Show us Where we are Headed
As a leader you have to look forward and see where you and the company are headed. This is important in order to avert catastrophe before it happens, or to plan for increases in staffing, production, etc.
Vision helps a leader prepare for the future.
Vision keeps a leader on course during rocky times or unexpected set backs

7. WHY IS VISION IMPORTANT?
Vision provides motivation and inspires us to keep on going
Leaders need to keep the end result in mind. A leader’s vision needs to be strong enough to carry them through to the end. Otherwise they will stop short of their goals.

8. WHY IS VISION IMPORTANT?
Vision helps to keep us moving forward and move through obstacles
If a leader has a strong vision, little set backs and obstacles will seem small and / or insignificant. They will work through them and persevere to the end, learning as they go.
Vision helps leaders to persevere

9. WHY IS VISION IMPORTANT?
Vision provides focus
With all of life’s distractions, and people vying for our attention nowadays, it can be hard to feel a sense of accomplishment. As a leader, acting on your vision will provide you with the focus needed to accomplish your goals. 
Vision helps leaders work on what is important to achieve the end results and not get caught up in the mundane stuff.
It helps leaders to focus on the 20% that is important instead of the remaining 80% that can be delegated and handled by others.

10. WHY IS VISION IMPORTANT?
Vision gives us meaning and purpose to what we do
As a leader, it will help you to see the end result of your efforts. It will give you your “why?” and the reason that you are doing what you do.
“A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” ~ Ralph Lauren

11. WHAT ARE ELEMENTS OF VISION?
Characteristics of Vision
attracts commitment and energizes people,
creates meaning in workers' lives,
establishes a standard of excellence,
bridges the present to the future, and
transcends the status quo.

12. WRITING A VISION STATEMENT
WHERE DO YOU START?
attracts commitment and energizes people,
creates meaning in workers' lives,
establishes a standard of excellence,
bridges the present to the future, and
transcends the status quo.

13. SUMMARY
Pharmacists can demonstrate leadership in exercising their responsibility for medication use systems by leading in all directions.
It takes time and lots of work
Don’t always succeed or receive rewards
Develop a strategic plan to effectively evaluate, restructure, and guide the pharmacy service
A good mission and vision statement can serve as a roadmap for success
“LEADship is not a position, but the ACTion you take – LEAD, ACT”