What I Wish I Knew Before My First Multi-Site Leadership Role | Kim Volman

Stepping into a multi-site leadership role for the first time is both exciting and intimidating. On paper, it can feel like a natural progression—if you’ve successfully led one pharmacy, leading several should simply be a matter of scale. In reality, multi-site leadership is not just “more of the same.” It requires a completely different mindset, new systems, and a shift in how you measure success.

Looking back, there are several lessons I wish I had understood earlier as a pharmacist. Learning them sooner would have saved time, reduced stress, and improved outcomes for both teams and operations.

Leadership Changes When You’re No Longer Close to the Work

One of the biggest adjustments is realizing you can’t be everywhere. In a single-site role, leaders often stay closely connected to daily workflows. You see problems firsthand and step in quickly when needed.

In a multi-site role, that approach doesn’t scale. Trying to stay deeply involved in every location leads to burnout and confusion for teams. Effective multi-site leadership requires trusting others to execute while you focus on direction, alignment, and support. The shift from doing to guiding is uncomfortable at first, but it’s essential.

Consistency Matters More Than Perfection

Early on, it’s tempting to customize processes for each location based on individual preferences or historical habits. While flexibility has value, too much variation creates operational chaos.

Consistency across locations is what allows organizations to function predictably. Standard workflows, shared expectations, and clear procedures make training easier, reduce errors, and allow leaders to identify problems faster. Perfection is less important than alignment.

Communication Becomes Your Most Important Tool

In multi-site leadership, communication replaces proximity. You can no longer rely on informal conversations to keep everyone aligned. Without intentional communication structures, information gaps form quickly.

Regular check-ins, clear written expectations, and consistent messaging help prevent misunderstandings. Transparency is equally important. Teams perform better when they understand priorities, challenges, and decisions rather than feeling disconnected from leadership.

Strong Site Leaders Make or Break Success

Your effectiveness as a multi-site leader depends heavily on the people leading individual locations. Investing time in developing site managers or lead pharmacists is not optional; it’s critical.

Empowered local leaders create stability. They solve problems early, maintain standards, and support their teams without constant intervention. When site leadership is weak, problems escalate quickly and consume disproportionate time and energy.

Systems Matter More Than Effort

Working harder is not a sustainable strategy for managing multiple locations. Systems are what create leverage. Documentation, reporting structures, performance metrics, and standardized processes allow leaders to monitor operations without micromanaging.

Without systems, leaders rely on instinct and constant firefighting. With systems, they gain visibility and control while freeing time for strategic thinking.

Time Management Looks Different at Scale

Multi-site leadership introduces competing priorities across locations. Urgent issues appear simultaneously, and not everything can be addressed immediately.

Learning to prioritize based on impact rather than urgency is essential. Some problems feel pressing but have limited long-term consequences, while others require attention even if they are not immediately visible. Developing this judgment takes experience, but recognizing its importance early helps prevent reactive decision-making.

Culture Requires Intentional Effort

In a single location, culture develops organically through daily interaction. Across multiple sites, culture must be built deliberately. Shared values, expectations, and recognition systems help create unity even when teams are physically separate.

Leaders who ignore culture often see fragmentation between locations. Those who nurture it create alignment, trust, and collaboration.

You Don’t Need All the Answers

One misconception about leadership is that you must always have solutions. In reality, asking questions and listening often produces better outcomes. Teams closest to the work usually understand challenges deeply. Inviting their input builds engagement and improves decisions.

Confidence in leadership comes not from knowing everything, but from creating environments where problems are solved effectively.

Perspective Changes Everything

Perhaps the most important lesson is that multi-site leadership is less about control and more about influence. Success comes from creating clarity, supporting people, and building systems that allow others to succeed.

If I could go back to my first multi-site role, I would focus earlier on trust, communication, and standardization rather than trying to personally manage every detail. Leadership at scale is not about doing more; it’s about enabling more.

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