Dr. Lakesha Butler, PharmD

I would not be here without mentors. Mentorship is so vital and has been so vital in my life. I think my first mentor was my grandmother, just seeing the way that she served others and the community, and that has been something that has been so important to me. One of the things that has really stuck with me is excellence over perfection. I believe that it's really not asking can I do something, but how can I do something, so not giving my mind the ability to say that I can't, but really looking at how can I accomplish something. One of my top strengths is Maximizer, and so I love to find ways to take something from good to great and great to excellent. This really speaks to having a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset, that whole idea of not can I, but how can I.

One piece of career advice that comes to mind is to whom much is given, much is required, and really focusing on lifting as I climb and reaching back to help others. I think as it relates to what has helped me in my career, it's really not asking can I do something, but how can I do something, so not giving my mind the ability to say that I can't, but really looking at how can I accomplish something. One of the things that has really stuck with me is excellence over perfection. I also talked a lot about mindset, having a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset, so that whole idea of not can I, but how can I.

I think that we have to know that adversity will be a part of our story, but it's the way that we handle the adversity that will result in positive or not-so-positive outcomes. Throughout my career, it hasn't always been peaches and cream. I've certainly seen adversity, and I believe that it's important to learn lessons from those situations and not stay stuck, but ask what could I have done differently or what are the ways that I can improve from this adversity and pivot. We're going to face challenges at times, but keep pressing forward and remember your why. Why am I doing this? Why do I want to move into this career? Why do I want to be in this profession? When things get tough, that why will keep you grounded and will focus you on moving forward versus focusing on the failure or the challenges. I believe in failing forward. I love that idea of failing forward, so when things don't line up how we would have hoped, we don't fall back, we learn and we go forward, we continue to move on with the lessons learned.

Within pharmacy specifically, I think we've seen since the pandemic that there's been burnout, particularly within the career field of community pharmacy. When you think about a pharmacist, you might think of your neighborhood pharmacist within CVS, and that's one element of the work that we do. It's certainly very impactful, as they were on the front lines, but I believe that it oftentimes has created some burnout and has created a narrative that has not been so pleasant just because of that burnout. Other challenges, and I think this is a challenge and an opportunity, is making sure that we're practicing and operating to the fullest of our degree. We learn a lot in pharmacy school, and there's a lot that we can do and contribute to the healthcare field. In some states, we have provider status, meaning that we're able to prescribe certain medications, including birth control and others. I think if we can see more representation of pharmacists within the healthcare system and even within our legislative branches, that would be an opportunity. Really just practicing at the top of our level would be a great opportunity.

Service is definitely at the core of who I am. That's a huge value of mine. I would also say compassion is important, and I think that falls into putting myself in the shoes of others and really showing others compassion. I believe that integrity is important in how I show up in various situations, not just in front of others, but behind closed doors. I think that ties into authenticity and being myself. I think that's something that I have had to grow in and become comfortable in my own skin, but I value it so much now that I've gotten to that place, and I try to really encourage others to be authentic. Another value is just being able to develop relationships, so connections. I think connections with others and having a strong community is so valuable for our personal growth and our professional development. It's like a two-way street, right? As a part of that community, iron sharpens iron, and you continue to encourage one another, and it's not a one-way street where we're building up one another and encouraging one another and holding each other accountable. Another value is certainly growth and learning. I value being able to know more than I did each day. I think there's something that I can learn each day to improve myself. I think it's important to have lifelong learning for both professional and personal growth.