Henry Schein’s Sanchia Patrick believes a person’s individual brand can have a transformational effect on organizations, and the client they serve.
Highly visible brands in the marketplace are easy to spot and usually simple to define. Think Apple, Tesla, and Amazon. Because behind each of those brands is an incredible purpose, mission, and vision.
The same can be true of personal brands, said Sanchia Patrick, Vice President of U.S. Medical Commercial Marketing for Henry Schein Medical. Think of the most successful leaders you’ve come across. Chances are they could be described by a single word: effective, memorable, intentional, etc. Those are elements of their brand.
They also have a purpose behind their brand, the thing that drives them.
For example, Patrick’s purpose is exhortation. She takes an interest in those she interacts with by thanking them for their time and displays a posture of curiosity about their lives and the work they do.
“When I start feeling negative or critical, I know that I’m deviating from my purpose,” Patrick said. “I’m showing ‘off brand’ in those instances. I might need some time away to recenter and reclaim who I’m supposed to be and what I’m called to do, whether it’s professionally or personally.”
Patrick learned this lesson during a difficult experience early on in her career. As a product manager in her 20s, Patrick had been heavily involved in a new product launch that had failed in the marketplace. It was excruciatingly painful to spend six to nine months of her life apologizing to clinicians about the product failure. “It was one of the few times I’ve ever gone platinum with Delta,” she said. “I was flying all around the country and going into operating rooms, trying to explain to surgeons what had happened.”
Patrick can remember thinking she couldn’t handle the critical remarks and that she was being asked to be the prime chief apologizer for a multi-billion-dollar brand. Not only that, it was a product launch that she had believed in, had spent countless hours working on, but had failed.
Yet during the difficult conversations, Patrick started mastering the art of apologizing to customers genuinely, authentically, and transparently. While it was painful, it taught her how to show up, look customers in the eye, and have the courage to discuss failure with them.
“It led me to believe I could actually thrive in dark times,” she said. By trying to encourage customers when they were upset, many of them thanked her for the frank discussions and dialogue on what their options were moving forward.
“It taught me to be a lot more courageous in the line of fire,” she said. “In marketing, you learn that you are the brand, and you account for the experiences. “That was probably the worst time of my career, but it led to some of the best growth professionally and personally in terms of humility and courage.”
Looking back on that experience and her leadership journey overall, Patrick said she would tell her younger self to do what’s right and stand by what she knew to be true, versus being concerned about what everybody else is thinking and saying. “We live in a workaholic culture, a performance-based culture, and a culture that sometimes values superficial things,” she said. “When you really know who you are and you can stand in your being, you can find joy in every single day and every single moment without getting caught up in what everybody else is doing,” Patrick said. We spend too much time worrying about what other people think.
“I think my younger self would’ve really appreciated my now self saying, ‘Stand in your truth. Stand in your purpose,’” Patrick continued. “And do the best that you possibly can and no more.”
The makings of a team
There are several attributes Patrick is looking for when adding to or promoting within her team. The first trait is humility. “I love strong people and present people, and I love people that can own a room. But if you’re not humble and you don’t know you can fall just as fast as you climbed, if you don’t have the ability to allow someone else to shine, you’re probably not going to be a good fit within my team,” she said. “So, humility is huge. Humility evolves over time and experiences give you that opportunity.”
Curiosity is another trait. “All great leaders are curious. They’re learners who want to ask all sorts of questions. Curiosity is demonstrated in listening and the ability to ask questions.”
Patrick also looks for diversity. Her team varies in age, race, political beliefs, religious beliefs, and geography. “In marketing, everybody can’t be a New Yorker. Our customers are everywhere. Our customers look, feel, and sound different.” There’s a diversity of thought to consider as well. Someone who has the courage to express their point of view, especially when it is counter to what a leader might be saying, is essential.
Demonstrated competence is a key trait. It’s great to have someone who is likable and lovable, but Patrick also highly values skill and competence. You’ve got to be able to get the job done, do it well and be able to work well with others. “I don’t compromise on competence.”
Finally, Patrick looks for drive – the drive to do excellent things, and the hunger to want to do excellent things, and to contribute meaningfully.
Patrick’s team is 17 strong, and if one were to glimpse into a meeting or project, these attributes would clearly be on display in each individual. “There is a combination of humility and drive that’s evident,” she said. “These folks ask amazing questions in very different ways, are highly competent, and continue to learn through continuing education and certifications to sharpen their saw. The combination of these attributes is highly attractive in marketing. They create a team full of A-plus players that could go anywhere. You want to be with people who could choose to be anywhere, but they’re choosing you because they believe in your brand and purpose.”
Culture’s contribution
As an organization, Henry Schein’s respected brand is fostered by its positive workforce culture. “We’re not employees at Team Schein,” Patrick said. “We’re Team Schein Members.”
“Employee” carries a more transactional connotation. As a Team Schein Member, an individual is part of the fabric of the company, Patrick said. “You matter. We really are all about our people, whether it be holiday parties, back-to-school events and other ways to give back to the community. It’s a company that’s defined by the people.”
Team Schein Members will often hear directly from the Company’s chairman and CEO, Stanley Bergman, about successful projects and accomplishments. “There are so many people on my team that have heard directly from him over email. Leadership is saying: ‘I saw you; I see you, and you matter.’”
When Patrick interviewed to join the company as a Marketing Director, Stephanie Shen, the company’s Chief Product Officer, told her that while Henry Schein is a big company, Team Schein Members have a chance to make their mark. “She told me, ‘If you have an idea or recommendation, if you contribute, you can actually put your fingerprint on it and people will know that it was you.’ Not all big companies are that way.”
A role to play
Patrick believes the med/surg industry as a whole has a unique opportunity in front of it. While med/surg stakeholders understand the healthcare landscape, they don’t quite know how they fit into the mental or behavioral health market yet. Outside of pharma, there are no products to throw at the problem, she said. What products are being used for depression, besides medication? What products do you treat anxiety with? Face masks? Gloves? Lab tests?
Today’s mental health crisis can’t be understated. One in three adults, according to the CDC, has had a depressive episode in a 12-month period. Anxiety disorders and substance abuse are at record highs – and that’s just for adults.
“I think this is an enormous challenge in the conditions that are treated in healthcare,” she said. “Every company that purports to have a healthcare mission and vision needs to play a part.”
It’s a topic Patrick is passionate about and will be putting her purpose and brand behind in the years to come.