Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

In your career, there is a high likelihood that you will be the member of a team. Sometimes team members work very closely with one another while other times teams are more dependent on individual contributors due to the technical nature of tasks or expertise. We sought to find advice from an expert as to how best to lead a team.

Alexion’s Róisín Armstrong, VP, Soliris Global Medicine Team Lead, was recently recognized as a Luminary Honoree at the HBA Woman of the Year Celebration for her dedication to the healthcare industry over 25 years. Róisín shared with us that she is continuously learning how best to contribute to her team’s dynamics and continuously growing throughout the process. Here are a few of her thoughts around working with teams:

Find Your North Star

It is critical for teams to align on the end goal, at the beginning. Galvanizing around a common purpose will create an environment where all team members not only share the same goal but share the same understanding of how to get there. A unified team is a powerful one and with a shared reason to believe, anything is possible.

Get Your Sledgehammer Ready

Without a clear path for success, it can be difficult to complete a project. Sometimes the best thing a team leader can do is to first survey the group to see what barriers exist and then work to eliminate them. By knocking down walls early in the process, team members can fully focus on the task at hand and ultimately deliver a solution with maximum impact.

Leading with Who

It may sound obvious but one of the most important elements of a team is the players themselves. Oftentimes, a team leader might not have all of the relevant expertise themselves, but they may have the right network and skills to engage and draw from the experiences of those who do. It is important to remember that diversity of thought will benefit the entire team. Pressure test your ideas with the experts and know that connecting the right players can be even more important than knowing all of the answers yourself.

Advancing our People and Our Company is a core component of Alexion’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. To learn more about Alexion’s CSR-STAR platform, visit alexion.com/responsibility. To learn more about joining a team at Alexion, visit alexion.com/careers