Julee Prefer believes putting the needs of others first allows us to align our efforts to the success of all.
Cherish every connection you make. That’s the advice Julee Prefer would give to her younger self. Cherish the connections, and welcome differences and differing viewpoints that come along the way in your professional journey. “Be willing to put the needs of others or the team ahead of your own,” said Prefer, President of Healthcare Solutions, and the 2023 recipient of Professional Women in Healthcare (PWH) Anne Eiting Klamar Leadership Award of Distinction. “If a relationship is not win-win, no one wins. Know that the skills you attain will transfer to far more applications and positions than you ever imagined. Be willing to take risks. Pay forward and give back.”
Prefer learned the value of giving back through her first promotion. The experiences gained changed the way she viewed leadership, she said. It was not the role or title of the position that impacted her but rather being humbled by the accountability to develop, empower, and support those on her team along their career path.
A second pivotal moment that shaped her view of leadership was the launching of Professional Women in Healthcare (PWH). Women from across our industry at various levels of their career came together to give freely of their time, talents, and experience to lead not a team or a company but an industry.
“This was and is a powerful movement that is transforming our industry,” she said.
Prefer said she measures success for PWH as empowering women in the industry to rise to their full potential personally and professionally, which will lead to accomplishing the PWH vision of an industry equally led by women. “In accomplishing this, we make our industry stronger and better,” she said. “It has been amazing to see PWH grow, not only in number of members, partners and our offering, but in the number of women empowered to rise to the next level.”
Making the leap
Prefer said that as a sales rep (producer), the focus is on individual contributions even though you appreciate and support the team.
But the step into leadership is a complete transition to outward focus. It is no longer about your individual accomplishments, but rather about aligning you and your team’s efforts to the corporate or common goal. “It is about seeing the strengths in each individual member of your team to develop and support their growth and contribution while integrating the strengths of the various team members,” she said. “The focus of your career becomes the development and empowerment of others.”
Intentionality
The biggest challenge in today’s marketplace has been the constant state of change and transition in the med/surg supply chain, whether from internal or external forces.
“It has required us to be intentional about staying focused, quick to massage the tactics we employ to meet our goals, and adaptable as we continually transition our skills to new landscapes and new roles,” she said. “In the end, I believe that these challenges have made us much stronger.”
Traits
What traits will it take for leaders to succeed in today’s marketplace? Prefer listed a few:
- Resilience
- Flexibility
- Servant leadership
- Commitment to team
- The ability to think outside of the box (A box which seems to be disintegrating before our eyes).