Leading Cross-Functional Pharma Teams with Ian Wilcox and Megan Marshall
October 2, 2025
Leading Cross-Functional Teams Requires Influence, Identity, and the Enterprise Mindset
In the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, teams are often led by brilliant experts — scientists, physicians, and others working to bring new, sometimes life-saving treatments to patients who need them. But, for a drug to make it from molecule to market, expertise alone isn’t enough. Pharmaceutical leaders have to orchestrate teams across disciplines, geographies, and organizational silos. And, that’s where things too often fall apart.
This point of failure, and how to fix it, was the focus of a recent episode of A Podcast About Leadership, featuring AIIR CEO Jonathan Kirschner, AIIR Managing Partner Megan Marshall, and AIIR Advisory Board member Ian Wilcox, former Global Head of Life Sciences at Hay Group, executive advisor, and investor. Together, the team unpacked what it really takes to lead a cross-functional pharma team.
You can watch the full episode below, or subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere else you listen!
Key Takeaways from the Episode
1. Influence Over Authority on Cross-Functional Teams
In most industries, leadership is associated with communication or vision. In life sciences, the critical differentiator is influence — the ability to mobilize peers without direct control. Influence is only sustainable, however, when paired with self-awareness, the capacity to understand how you are perceived and adapt across diverse scientific subcultures.
“In pharma, the number one leadership skill isn’t technical expertise — it’s influence. And right behind that is self-awareness. You can’t lead cross-functionally unless you understand yourself and how you impact others.”
Megan Marshall
2. From Subject-Matter Expert to Enterprise Leader
For many MDs and PhDs, professional identity is tied to proving expertise and “being right.” But in a cross-functional setting, success comes from relinquishing authority as an expert and embracing the role of integrator.
“The professional currency in pharma has always been proving that you’re right. But cross-functional leadership requires the opposite: the humility to set aside the need to be right in order to move the asset forward.”
Ian Wilcox
That shift can be humbling. It requires leaders to move from technical depth to enterprise breadth — or, in some cases, to consciously remain in an expert track that organizations must equally value and reward.
3. The “Dual Citizenship” Mindset for Pharma Leaders
Pharma leaders must hold dual identities: deep expertise in their own field and genuine curiosity about adjacent functions — regulatory, clinical, manufacturing, commercial, and medical affairs. This dual citizenship allows leaders to connect the dots, translate across disciplines, and broker tradeoffs that advance the whole enterprise.
“When you lead cross-functionally, you become a dual citizen. Your home is your function, but you also need to be intellectually curious about every other discipline at the table.”
Ian Wilcox
Without this mindset, pharma teams risk devolving into a situation where individuals defend silos rather than pursue shared outcomes.
Beyond Pharma: Lessons for all Matrixed Organizations
While these challenges are acute in pharma teams, the lessons travel. Any leader in a matrixed, high-stakes environment — whether in retail, finance, or technology — needs the same muscles: influence without authority, dual citizenship, explicit decision-making, and incentive alignment.
“Some of the worst meetings I’ve ever been in have been cross-functional meetings. And some of the best. The difference is leadership — whether the leader makes the purpose clear and helps people see why they are in the room.”
Jonathan Kirschner
Equipping Cross-Functional Leaders for Success
At AIIR, we believe leadership is the ultimate competitive advantage. Our coaching and team effectiveness solutions are designed to help leaders make the critical identity shift from expert to enterprise leader — equipping them with the influence, awareness, and frameworks to drive results in the most complex pharma teams.
To learn more, you can explore the whitepaper, Leadership’s Critical Role in Functional Pharmaceutical Teams, or contact us to learn how AIIR can help you build the enterprise leaders your strategy demands.
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