The Power of Saying No: A Faculty Guide to Essentialism

Don’t Miss a Post. Subscribe Now.

Academic pharmacy leaders often wear many hats—teacher, mentor, scholar, committee chair, administrator. Each role brings purpose, yet the competing demands can feel like a treadmill with no off switch. The result? Burnout, blurred priorities, and reduced impact.

The solution isn’t doing more. It’s doing less—but better.

Greg McKeown’s Essentialism challenges us to stop being stretched too thin and instead become more selective and deliberate in how we invest our time and energy. Here’s how pharmacy faculty and leaders can apply this mindset to bring clarity, focus, and sustainability to their work—and model the same for their teams.

1. Clarify What’s Essential in Your Role—and Say No to the Rest

Key Idea: If you don’t prioritize your time, someone else will.
Essentialism begins with identifying the vital few activities that generate the greatest value for your institution, your career, and your well-being.

Try This:

• List all current responsibilities. Then circle the top 3 that truly align with your mission and institutional priorities.

• Practice saying: “I’d love to help, but I need to stay focused on my core commitments.”

Example:
A department chair was overwhelmed by committee work and constant meeting requests. After identifying their core mission—faculty mentorship and curricular leadership—they delegated two committees and declined new projects, regaining 6 hours a week for strategic thinking and faculty development.

2. Design a Weekly Rhythm That Protects Deep Work

Key Idea: Progress requires space to think and create.
The best leaders schedule their most important work—research writing, strategic planning, mentoring—rather than leaving it for when everything else is done.

Try This:

• Block “untouchable time” each week (even 90 minutes) for deep work—no meetings, emails, or grading.

• Protect time for teaching prep and research like you would for a meeting with your dean.

Example:
An associate dean scheduled a recurring 2-hour “focus block” on Wednesday mornings to work on manuscripts. By protecting this time like a class or clinic shift, she submitted two publications that had been stalled for over a year.

3. Create Guardrails Around Service Commitments

Key Idea: Not all service is created equal.
Service work can be meaningful—but when unchecked, it becomes a source of depletion. Essentialism asks: Is this service aligned with my values and growth?

Try This:

• Choose service roles that also advance your skills or network (e.g., accreditation, national task forces).

• Set limits on simultaneous committee roles (e.g., “one internal, one external” rule).

Example:
A faculty member stepped back from four minor committees and instead led one major institutional initiative aligned with her passion for student success—resulting in more impact and national visibility.

4. Practice “Deliberate Trade-Offs” as a Leadership Skill

Key Idea: You can do anything, but not everything.
Essentialist leaders actively make decisions about what to not do—openly and unapologetically. This mindset not only models healthy boundaries, but strengthens team performance.

Try This:

• In team meetings, ask: “What should we stop doing?”

• When planning new initiatives, define what current work will be paused or dropped.

Example:
A dean introduced a quarterly “Stop Doing” review with their leadership team. This resulted in removing redundant reporting tasks and realigning staff efforts around enrollment strategy.

5. Lead by Example—Model Sustainability for Your Team

Key Idea: Your behavior teaches more than your policies.
Faculty are watching. If leaders respond to every email instantly, work nights and weekends, and take on every task, they’ll do the same.

Try This:

• Set boundaries on email response times (e.g., within 24 hours, not instantly).

• Normalize unplugging during weekends or PTO.

Example:
One dean began closing their laptop by 6 p.m. and communicated this openly with faculty. Over time, department chairs followed suit—shifting the culture from hustle to high-impact focus.

Final Thoughts:
Balancing teaching, research, and service isn’t about perfect time management—it’s about essentialist decision-making. When academic leaders prioritize the right work, protect time for deep contribution, and model sustainable rhythms, they not only avoid burnout—they create a culture where faculty thrive.

Next Steps to Saying No!
Need support designing an Essentialist strategy
for your faculty or leadership team? 

Schedule a free strategy session 
to create the clarity, focus, and results your college deserves.

 

Join @AACP for dynamic conversations pertaining to academic pharmacy.

#AcademicPharmacy, #PharmacyLeadership, #FacultyDevelopment, #EduLead, and #PharmacyEducation

#executivecoaching, #leadership