Getting the most from your team
2 min 48 reading time
A biotech leader responsible for sales growth recently asked me, “Why can’t we just tell our teams: ‘This is your target; now get on with it and deliver’? After all, that’s what we’re paying them for!”
It’s a fair question—especially under the intense pressure of delivering life-saving innovations, meeting regulatory deadlines, and justifying investments.
But humans aren’t machines, and in biopharma, where success depends on collaboration and creativity, this approach misses a critical element: the people behind the science.
The pandemic taught us something profound: humans thrive on connection. Strip away face-to-face interactions, and you erode trust, energy, and collaboration. As we navigate today’s world—what futurists call BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible)—the need to support the human side of work has never been greater.
In biopharma, this matters more than ever. Whether it’s aligning cross-functional teams, navigating complex supply chains, or engaging stakeholders, people are at the heart of every breakthrough. But to deliver their best, they need the right conditions: clarity, purpose, and a culture of trust.
AI is transforming biopharma—from accelerating drug discovery to streamlining clinical trials. Yet, for roles requiring human connection, such as engaging regulators, building partnerships, or managing teams, automation falls short. These roles demand human skills like:
These are deeply human capabilities, and they flourish only when individuals feel confident, creative, and supported.
Simon Sinek’s “Why Leaders Eat Last” explain show leadership shapes team dynamics through trust. When people feel safe, their brains release oxytocin, sparking creativity, collaboration, and confidence.Conversely, environments of fear or stress flood the brain with cortisol, shutting down problem-solving and innovation.
In biopharma, where every decision impacts lives, the stakes are high. Teams thrive when leaders create an environment that fosters trust and purpose. This is backed by neuroscience and echoed in emotional intelligence research: mission-driven teams in nurturing cultures consistently outperform those operating under fear-based management.
Miles Downey identified three critical roles leaders play:
These roles often conflict. Imagine a biotech leader managing a critical R&D project while trying to support their team’s growth. Balancing immediate deliverables with long-term development isn’t easy, but it’s essential for sustained success.
To unlock the full potential of their teams, biopharma leaders must create the conditions for success. Here’s how:
In biopharma, profit is essential, but it’s not the ultimate goal. As Peter Drucker said, “Profit is like oxygen; there is no life without it… but it is not the reason for living.”
Dan Pink puts it another way: “When the profit motive becomes unmoored from the purpose motive, bad things happen.”Successful biopharma leaders understand this balance, focusing on outcomes that matter—patient lives, scientific progress, and societal impact.
In a field as complex and high-stakes as biopharma, success depends on more than setting targets and pushing for results. It requires leaders to embrace the human side of performance—building trust, fostering purpose, and creating the conditions where people can thrive.
To the leader who asked, “Why can’t they just get on with it?”—the answer is simple: because your people are not machines. And that’s precisely why they’re capable of extraordinary things.
Specialists in the human side of change, we partner with leading life science organisations to deliver deep change and cultural transformation.