President, Global Product Development & Supply (retired)
Lou Schmukler served as Executive Vice President and President of Global Product Development and Supply at Bristol Myers Squibb until his retirement. His pharmaceutical industry career spanned over 40 years. He holds a B.S. from Temple School of Pharmacy and M.A. from Webster University.
Crafting and communicating a vision for the organization is one of the most important and visible jobs of a leader. It is also a difficult job, and executing plans to realize the vision is even more difficult.
Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and Golda Meir were some of history’s greatest leaders. One thing they all had in common was that they were leaders of incredible personal character. General Norman Schwarzkopf said, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”
I am enthusiastic and humbled to have the opportunity to author a column on leadership for the ISPE membership. The subject of leadership has been a passion of mine since the very start of my career, 45 years ago. From the shop floor to the C-suite, I have been an ardent student of the subject.