CEO Update  By: Ron Fitzwater, CAE, MBA, CEO of the Missouri Pharmacy Association


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aren and I love to watch movies that teach us something about historical events that we weren’t familiar with prior to the movie. The movie, The Boys in the Boat, certainly fit that requirement.


If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it. The best summary I found was that it is: “A 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington’s rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.” It was fast- paced and very enjoyable to watch. My only experience with rowing is in small


fishing boats. That experience teaches a lot about coordination, sometimes teamwork and usually – hard work. I have had friends who were on rowing teams, but I never really paid much attention to the mechanics of the sport. After watching the movie, and preparing for this article, it occurred to me that many of the requirements of a good rowing team are also good requirements for a legislative team trying to pass major legislation. In that comparison, the first thing that


comes to mind is leadership. On a crew, that responsibility falls to the coxswain. My research found this definition of that leadership position: “The coxswain is the only team member that faces forward in the shell, steers, and barks commands. The best coxswains are tiny (<120 lbs.), bossy, and loud. Great coxswains are part helmsman, coach, and psychologist. “Hands On!” is a call to order by the coxswain to the rowers.” Other than the weight guidelines (smiling


here), the ability to move a legislative agenda requires a leader with some of the same


characteristics. Although they may not be the only person facing forward because it is often times a small group, committee or


“Many of the requirements of a good rowing team are also good requirements for a legislative team trying to pass major legislation. In that comparison, the first thing that comes to mind is leadership.”


board of directors leading the process, they are typically the ones who have both identified the problem/issue as well as potential solutions to the issue. Like the coxswain in a shell (another term I learned - It refers to a term for the vessel that the crew uses), leaders for association legislative issues need someone to take the helm and move the issue forward as well. Even though it may not require barking commands, being bossy, or even being loud, it usually requires leaders with very unique talents. In the shell, the coxswain looks to the


following individuals: • Seats 1 and 2 are referred to as the bow


pair and the person in position 1 is call bow. This pair sets the boat or balances the boat. • Seats 3, 4, 5 and 6 are referred to as the


“engine room.” • Seats 7 and 8 are referred to as the stern


pair. To operate at peak performance, there must


6 Missouri PHARMACIST | Volume 98, Issue II | Summer 2024


be a lot of trust in the coxswain (leadership) and coordination with the various rowers, each with their own unique responsibilities. If the team gets out of harmony with the strategy that has been developed or adjusted in the heat of competition, it could spell disaster for the team’s chance of winning. Similarly in pursuing legislation, especially


complicated and controversial legislation, there needs to be a similar game plan. The leaders need to spend as much time as reasonably possible to clearly identify the issue, explore potential solutions to the issue, and then if that solution requires a legislative fix, they need to help develop the best possible legislative solution. From this point forward there are a lot of


additional steps required to try to move a legislative issue through the legislative process and on to the Governor’s desk. That is not the purpose of this article. The purpose of this article is to show that once the plans are put in place (and realizing there is always a need to allow leaders – in rowing, the coxswain – the ability to make adjustments that the other members of the team need to follow and work to implement on behalf of the whole team/ association. In a shell, if they don’t, it could prove disastrous.) In the legislature, it could cause good legislation to fail somewhere in the process if the group is trying to go in multiple directions at the same time. Thank you to our team (board of directors,


volunteers, staff) for your work over the past year to help lead the Missouri Pharmacy Association. Our successful issues have been because of the teamwork throughout the association.


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