Pharma Veterans

Leadership Tales I – Blog Post #430 by Asrar Qureshi Dear Colleagues!  This is Pharma Veterans Blog Post #430. Pharma Veterans welcomes sharing of knowledge and wisdom by Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here. Leadership is probably more fantasized than understood. Everyone seems to carry a highly personal and individualized concept of Leadership in her/his mind, of which some thoughts are more common. The first thought which is associated with Leadership is ‘Power Over Others’. Power ranges from ‘autocratic dictatorship’ to ‘benevolent dictatorship’. The thing to note is that ‘dictatorship’ would be there in any case. All other versions of Leadership are nothing but a variation on the same theme. I really wish I could profile some of the old guard with whom I had some encounter, or I had the opportunity to work ...

Dear Pharma Veterans. It is part of the original concept that individual Pharma Veterans will be profiled. These men and women spent their entire work life in Pharma Industry and contributed enormously. They are a reason for celebration and a source for inspiration. Your comments and contributions are awaited. Would you like to have yourself profiled here? Please write to asrar@asrarqureshi.com ­­­­­­­­­­­ Work Philosophy “The two important factors that make an effective leader in pharmaceutical industry are having a clear vision and clear communication. First you should know what your objective is, and then be able to deliver it to your team. Your objective should be understood and appreciated by your team to achieve success. Your team should have the feeling that you care for them. Managers who look outside the box will have an edge over others”. Zahid Farooq retired recently from Schazoo (zaka). He had worked as Head of Sales and Marketing here for fifteen years. He h...

Dear Pharma Veterans! The purpose of ‘Pharma Veterans’ is to share your wealth of knowledge and wisdom with others. And to create a movement to recognize and celebrate the Pharma Industry Professionals. Presently, Pharma Veterans Blog is published on WordPress, a top blog site. More is due to come in near future. Your stories, ideas and thoughts are eagerly awaited. Please send to asrar@asrarqureshi.com . Your contributions will be published promptly. Please join the Community and the Movement. The MNCs enjoyed major share of market. Local Pharma also had well-known names. The important thing was that the tradition of having a niche-for-own was followed by all. The MNCs had their research products but the local pharma also had their own formulations and brands to boast. The pattern of working was similar, and the customers were the same. The concept of customer services had not come in anywhere, not just in Pharma but in consumer industry too. The focus was the product, its ...

Asrar’s Note: Dear Pharma Veterans! I have created this space for ‘Pharma Veterans’; all of us, not just me. I am filling this space to begin with, in order to keep it moving. You are most cordially invited to write your thoughts/ ideas/ experiences. Please send these to me at asrar@asrarqureshi.com . Your contributions will be published promptly and without editing. Please join the Community and the Movement. Sheikh Ejaz, District Manager of Lederle, was an outstanding person, distinct from others, in a class of his own. He came from a well-placed family settled in Bahawalpur. He had joined sales profession at an older age, probably at thirty-two. He was well read, head-strong, non-conformist, and rebellious. His expression was refined; he spoke very well and with authority. He had great flair for sales. As manager, he developed his team but gave them a lot of free hand. He took me in his car from Multan to Sahiwal and introduced me around. Next was weekend, and he said he pla...

Asrar’s Note: Dear Pharma Veterans! I have created this space for ‘Pharma Veterans’; all of us, not just me. I am filling this space to begin with to keep it moving. You are most cordially invited to write your thoughts/ ideas/ experiences. Please send these to me at asrar@asrarqureshi.com . Your contributions will be published promptly and without editing. Please join the Community and the Movement. For the next year and half, I literally wandered around. I did not entirely go back to my home in Lahore. I divided my time between Lahore, Multan and Bahawalpur. I entered and exited Glaxo quickly. Then a colleague referred me to Sheikh Ejaz, District Manager Lederle. He had a vacancy in Sahiwal which I opted for. He said I had to go to Karachi for final interview. So, one afternoon, I embarked on Chenab Express from Bahawalpur to go to Karachi. The train had a problem on the way and reached Karachi eight hours behind schedule. It was about 5.00PM when I disembarked at Karachi c...