» SALLY BARENNES
Strategic Advisor, Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche

I tend to be direct with people, but I am also consistent in the way I interact with my superiors, peers, and subordinates alike. Building trust and integrity is as important in the workplace as it is in our personal lives. While my leadership style is straightforward, I believe one key aspect of leadership is listening. Organizations strive to hire the best and brightest; it just makes sense that we should listen to these people we hire! I am also learning the importance of celebration, of recognizing key accomplishments. It may be simplistic, but the simple act of thanking people can ensure that they remain engaged.

I hesitate to describe myself as a "change agent," but acknowledge that I have now accumulated significant experience from different perspectives. I was part of Parke-Davis/Warner Lambert when we were swallowed up by Pfizer. The secret for survival on that occasion was being quick to adapt. I then joined Novartis—prior to an organizational steady-state, either in terms of culture, structure or harmonized processes. The past 18 months at Roche have involved rapid change and reorganization. I feel fortunate to have held a key role during that time, and to have been intimately involved in the Genentech integration and subsequently in the design of the Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) organization. I think it is essential not to be intimidated by change, but instead to embrace it. Change can be exciting and so often leads to new and interesting opportunities.

I would suggest that my family upbringing defines me more than my professional life. I grew up the youngest of four children, with a father who was a New York City policeman and a mother who was at home raising the kids. I have been given numerous developmental opportunities due to the rapid growth of Amgen over the past 10 years. I was also afforded the opportunity to work with many talented people over that time frame; learning from others has enhanced my chances for success. Recognizing this is a key aspect of leadership.

I am not convinced there is a "next generation leadership." I believe there are numerous leadership styles that are effective, and therefore I don't buy into the premise of new styles vs. old styles; there are just different successful styles. A good leader at Amgen is an individual that can work across the various functions and create a team dynamic where the team feels fully aligned to the goal. This leader allows all sides to be heard and then makes a decision, which the team usually supports.

I am a big believer in getting the "right people on the bus," so in the majority of the roles I have taken, I have made some personnel changes within the first year. Currently, I am attempting to change the vision/culture of my organization from one focused on operational efficiencies to one focused on enhancing revenue generation through insight. This is a work-in-progress and the final chapter has not been written.