Leadership is not magnetic personality — that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not ‘making friends and influencing people’ –that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” Those are the descriptive and on target words of Peter F. Drucker, writer, management consultant, and university professor. In this issue PharmaVOICE looks at leaders and leadership roles. Some say leaders are not born, they are made. It is determination, a willingness to professionally and personally stretch boundaries, and an eagerness to accept new roles and responsibilities that create leaders. Leaders also inspire others to do more, learn more, and be more. Our industry has a critical need for strong leaders who act as mentors, and, as pressures grow, those leaders will become ever more vital. This month’s feature article, Complex Challenges — Strong Leaders, celebrates the contributions of a cross section of the life-sciences leading lights who have been recognized by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) as Rising Stars and leaders in their own right. These women, who represent a variety of companies from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare advertising, public-relations, medical-education, and market-research arenas, have been identified by their managers, peers, and organizations for outstanding leadership qualities, strategic thinking, and management skills. To quote Vince Lombardi, coach of Green Bay Packers (1959-1967): “Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and willpower in the character.” This esteemed group of 52 women possess the character, commitment, and willpower to improve and change how the industry addresses public-health issues and to overcome the many challenges in reaching lofty goals. This year, the HBA honors its 2005 Rising Stars, as well as the Woman of the Year Lynn O’Connor Vos, president and CEO of Grey Healthcare Group; 2005 Star Volunteer Donna K. Ramer, president of StrategCations Inc. and member of the current HBA Board of Directors, and 2005 Honorable Mentor Stewart (Mick) W. Mosebrook, executive VP, sales, U.S. Pharmaceuticals, at Pfizer. In light of increasing industry oversight — the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) code and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) guidance, as well as the more recent implications of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) standards and FDA draft guidances regarding communication with healthcare providers — pharmaceutical companies must go beyond simply following the rules and create a culture of compliance within their organizations to foster and promote an ethical atmosphere (see this month’s Forum on page 8). This environment is cultivated by the actions of individuals who are in leadership positions. It is imperative that our industry’s leaders — men and women — step up and provide guidance to others in their organizations receive recognition for their efforts. According to Fred Fiedler and Martin Chemers, authors of Improving Leadership Effectiveness, “The quality of leadership, more than any other single factor, determines the success or failure of an organization.” PharmaVOICE couldn’t agree more. Taren Grom Editor Celebrating Leadership Taren Grom PharmaVOICE congratulates this year’s group of 52 HBA Rising Stars, as well as Woman of the Year Lynn O’Connor Vos; Star Volunteer Donna Ramer; and Honorable Mentor Stewart (Mick) W. Mosebrook.

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