The Best Leaders Remember the Climb

From the Bottom to Leadership: How Resilience and Humility Shape Exceptional Leaders

Kristie Green

Pharmacy Technician Instructor

Stepful

The Best Leaders Remember the Climb

Article by: Kristie Green

Success is often portrayed as a title, a promotion, or a leadership position. What we don’t talk about enough is the climb: the long days, the self-doubt, the mistakes, and the moments when you question whether you’re capable of more. Those moments are where true leaders are made.

That is success: the resilience to keep climbing!

I didn’t begin my career as a supervisor or an instructor. I started where many people do—at the bottom. I wasn’t the person who always had every answer, and I certainly wasn’t the most confident. But I was curious. I worked hard. I asked questions. I volunteered to learn new things.

Most importantly, I refused to let fear convince me that I wasn’t capable of growing.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work in nearly every corner of the pharmacy world. From retail and hospitals to oncology, specialty pharmacy, long-term care, physician offices, mail-order pharmacy, and managed care, every role taught me something different.

Looking back, I realize there was no such thing as a “small” job. Every position gave me knowledge, strengthened my confidence, and prepared me for opportunities I couldn’t yet see but hoped for.

Eventually, those experiences led me into leadership.

I have had the privilege of supervising pharmacy teams, mentoring employees, hiring and developing staff, coaching people through challenges, and helping individuals discover strengths they didn’t yet see in themselves.

Watching someone grow in confidence and realize their own potential became one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

That experience also changed my understanding of leadership.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It isn’t about being the smartest person in the room or holding the highest title. It’s about creating an environment where other people can succeed.

It’s about listening before speaking, teaching instead of criticizing, and remembering what it felt like to be the newest person on the team.

The best leaders never forget the climb.

Like many people, my journey hasn’t been without unexpected setbacks. After serving as a Pharmacy Operations Supervisor, my position was eliminated during a large company reduction in force.

Losing a job is never easy. It can leave you questioning your direction and wondering what’s next.

At first, it felt like a door had closed.

In reality, it opened one I never expected.

That season led me to become a pharmacy instructor, where I discovered a new passion: helping students build careers as pharmacy technicians.

Instead of measuring my success by the teams I have managed, I began measuring it by the students I encourage, the confidence I help build, and the future pharmacy technicians I have the privilege of teaching.

Every class reminds me of something I once needed to hear myself:

You don’t have to know everything to get started.

You don’t have to be fearless to move forward.

You don’t have to have the perfect résumé or the perfect plan.

What you need is the willingness to keep learning and the resilience to keep climbing!

Some of the most successful people I’ve met weren’t necessarily the ones with the highest IQ. They were the ones who stayed curious, embraced feedback, adapted to change, and refused to quit when things became difficult.

Resilience often matters more than perfection.

Character often matters more than talent.

Consistency often matters more than natural ability.

Your journey isn’t supposed to look like anyone else’s.

There will always be someone with more experience, more education, or more confidence. But there will never be another person with your unique perspective, your work ethic, your compassion, and your ability to make a difference in someone else’s life.

If there is one lesson I hope every woman carries with her, it’s this:

Don’t let where you begin determine where you believe you can go.

Keep learning.

Keep asking questions.

Keep saying yes to opportunities that stretch you.

Don’t allow setbacks to define your future; they may simply be redirecting it.

And when you eventually find yourself in a position to lead others, remember the climb.

Remember the uncertainty.

Remember the people who gave you a chance.

Remember the lessons that only came through hardship.

Lead with humility.

Lead with empathy.

Lead in a way that makes someone else believe they can do it, too.

Because the most influential women aren’t those who never struggled.

They’re the ones who climbed anyway—and reached back to help someone else do the same.

Keep climbing!