Leadership in health care is more than a title – it’s a practiced skill that requires communication, self-awareness, delegation and collaboration.

At East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, third-year student pharmacists recently learned these lessons in a fun, hands-on way: by racing against the clock to build a mystery Tinkertoy structure.

The innovative classroom activity, designed by Dr. Jeff Gray, a professor in the college’s Department of Pharmacy Practice, and Jordan Strauss, a fourth-year student pharmacist, transformed the college’s leadership and professional development coursework into a dynamic challenge that helped student pharmacists recognize their strengths, communication styles and potential as future health care leaders.

It's part of ETSU’s commitment to provide students with hands-on learning activities that prepare students for success upon graduation, whether that’s through training simulations or collaborative activities that require interpersonal skills such as problem solving, patience and teamwork.

“We intentionally designed a game which placed P3 students within team-based leadership and delegation roles,” said Gray. “In the end, I hope each student considered the process of selecting a team leader, the desired characteristics of their team leader and how purposeful leadership development can enhance a patient-focused workforce.”

Gray has an extensive history of building up servant leaders at ETSU, with 16 years of experience building collaborative partnerships that strengthen the community. For these and other efforts, he was the winner of the university’s Distinguished Faculty Award in Service in 2025, the most prestigious honor available to faculty at ETSU.

Putting leadership skills to the test

The class formed two teams and elected two leaders for each team, who then selected team members to complete tasks. The ultimate team goal was to see which team could have the closest recreation of a mystery Tinkertoy model designed by the faculty facilitators.

Each team had one representative who could see the Tinkertoy model and pass the information on to builders, note-takers, timekeepers and other teammates responsible for reconstructing the model under very tight time constraints. With no single person seeing the full build process, success depended entirely on trust, communication and effective delegation.

“Throughout the game, the students experienced firsthand how different leadership approaches can either streamline or hinder team progress, mirroring real-world scenarios such as managing workflow in a community pharmacy, coordinating transitions of care, or contributing to interdisciplinary rounds,” said Strauss, who is completing her Academic Advanced Pharmacy Practice rotation with Gray.

Strauss said the activity was intentionally designed to help students rethink their understanding of what leadership looks like in pharmacy.

“One of the core goals of this activity was helping students recognize that leadership in pharmacy practice is not strictly tied to title or position,” continued Strauss. “Whether a pharmacist is leading a clinical team, coordinating with technicians, counseling patients, or collaborating with other providers, the ability to communicate clearly, delegate effectively, and adapt one’s leadership style to the situation is essential.”

Building confidence for clinical practice

Following the activity, students completed an individual reflection designed to strengthen self-awareness and professional growth.

“Additionally, the reflection component encouraged students to identify their own strengths and areas for growth,” Strauss said. “This parallels the continuous self-assessment expected in pharmacy practice, where patient outcomes rely on a pharmacist’s ability to lead confidently, communicate intentionally, and support shared goals within a health care team.”

Sean Kimball, a third-year student from Piney Flats, who came through the Early Admission Pathway, reflected on the class.

“This activity taught me that every person has a role in bringing a project to fruition, and it is important as a leader to be able to work with all of these roles,” said Kimball, who plans to pursue residency and practice pharmacy in internal medicine. “As I go into the fourth year and residency, I will bring forward some of these concepts into any projects I will have to lead.”

Alyssa Coats, a third-year student from Nolensville, served as leader during the first round of the activity and translator during the second round, which she said brought out her competitive side.

“I learned that leadership does not mainly revolve around the ‘leader’ and oftentimes it's more important that the ‘leader’ is able to pick out people who may all think differently but are able to use those differences to reach a common goal,” said Coats, who wants to pursue ambulatory care and industry pharmacy.  

To learn more about ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy, or to apply, visit etsu.edu/pharmacy.