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Mary Jane Salinas on Leading with Ignorance in Science Communication

Sometimes, the most effective leaders are the ones who are willing to say, “I don’t know.”  

As Executive Director of Global Medical Excellence at ITF Therapeutics, Mary Jane Salinas, PharmD, provides strategic leadership across scientific communications, publications strategy, and medical affairs, partnering with cross-functional and global teams to ensure that science is communicated with clarity, rigor, and alignment at every level.


In this episode, Mary Jane joins Kristen to talk about why admitting what you don’t know is one of the most powerful starting points in science communication. 								

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

					
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The Big Idea: The Power of Saying "I Don't Know" 
				

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

									Mary Jane leads a newly formed global medical affairs team that spans regions, languages, regulations, and varying levels of drug availability. Every market she works with has its own nuances, and every cross-functional partner brings expertise she doesn’t have. The instinct, especially for a senior leader, can be to project mastery. Mary Jane has found the opposite to be more effective.


Leading with ignorance, as she defines it, is the deliberate practice of admitting what you don’t know and daring to ask the “silly” question. It’s the difference between a leader who walks into a room with answers and one who walks in with questions. Mary Jane argues the second approach builds the kind of trust that makes the work better.								

				

					

		

					

		

				

						

					

			

						

				

							

			

						

		

						

				

				

				

							

							
"It has been very important for me to lead with ignorance, to admit that I don't know what I don't know, and to make sure that they feel that their input is important and heard and taken in."

			
						

				

											

													

					
										

														
Mary Jane Salinas

																						
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL MEDICAL EXCELLENCE AT ITF THERAPEUTICS

													

									

			

					

						

				

					

		

					

		

				

						

					

			

						

				

					
Key Takeaways
				

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

									
    
 	
  • Leading with ignorance dismantles the wall that goes up when senior leaders project total mastery, and it invites the kind of input that makes cross-functional and global collaboration most effective. 


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  • The future of scientific communication is “publication extenders.” The peer-reviewed paper remains the source of truth. But video abstracts, infographics, chatbots, and snippet-sized formats are how a new generation of physicians will actually engage with the data.
    


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  • Stepping back and asking, “Who is this for and what are we actually trying to say?” keeps messaging anchored to the objective rather than the team’s accumulated familiarity with the work.

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If you'd like to connect with Mary Jane, you can do so here: 
				

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

																	

				

				

				

							

			

		

						

				

				

				

					
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