The future of scientific leadership...
belongs to those who dare to challenge the status quo!
For physicians and scientists looking for a new way to enhance their leadership soft skills and advance their careers, Stand on Strengths, is the premier coaching and strategy consulting service that provides clarity on unique strengths and confidence to lead authentically. Unlike traditional coaches, with a business or human resources background, who don’t understand the world of scientific R and D, I am a scientist turned Gallup-certified strengths coach, who successfully utilized my strengths in leadership positions and career transitions.
- Are you a senior organizational leader who has excelled in your scientific discipline but struggles with leading and managing people?
- Do you find it easier to discuss data and next experiments rather than give performance reviews or have crucial conversations?
- Are you facing challenges in motivating your lab members or clinical group to achieve strategic goals?
- If you've recently stepped into a scientific leadership position, are you eager to learn from others' experiences and fast-track your success?
- As a graduate student or post-doc, do you want to gain a competitive advantage in the job market?
- Perhaps you're feeling burnt out and questioning what's next for your career.
The solution to all these quandaries lies in discovering and honing your unique strengths. By doing so, you can enhance your leadership soft skills, drive personal and team performance, and increase your career and life satisfaction.
Scientist Turned Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach
Hello! I am Sara Hook, a Gallup-certified strengths coach with more than 30 years of experience in research and administration at 4 prestigious academic medical centers and the National Cancer Institute where I have leveraged my own strengths in leadership positions and career advancement. Along the way, I’ve realized that exceptional leaders are those who consistently strive to understand themselves. They leverage their strengths, address their weaknesses, and lead with authenticity. Instead of trying to emulate other successful leaders, they embrace their own individuality. However, as scientists progress in their careers, they often lack training in soft skills and struggle to articulate strengths beyond technical expertise. That’s where I come in – I’m on a quest to transform the scientific leadership environment and the road to success is to Stand on Strengths!
Discover Your Leadership Soft Skills
Based on decades of research on high performing leaders and teams, Dr. Don Clifton of Gallup developed the CliftonStrengths assessment. Utilizing data from this assessment and other appropriate analytical tools, I guide STEM leaders and aspiring leaders through a discovery process to understand themselves in order advance their careers and enhance their leadership soft skills. After consulting with leaders on their strategic goals, I work with their teams to uncover individual and team strengths to maximize performance and enhance career satisfaction.
The CliftonStrengths assessment analyzes the 34 traits of leadership and delivers personalized reports tailored to your experience level. Similar to how your DNA makes you an original, the probability of finding another person with the same top 5 strengths in the same order as yours is 1 in 33 trillion!
How do I know strengths will work for me? It’s worked for me and it can work for you! In fact, over 31 million people worldwide have benefitted from CliftonStrengths and are 6 times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and 3 times as likely to report an excellent quality of life!
Generalized leadership development approaches don’t take into account your unique combination of talents! As a Gallup-certified strengths coach, I will help you discover and hone your strengths to become a one-of-a-kind leader and achieve career success and personal satisfaction!
Executive and leadership coaching for scientists is valuable:
- Gain wisdom and understanding of your natural strengths
- Embrace your unique talent to drive results in a manner that is authentic to you
- Develop ways to overcome your weaknesses
- Expand your leadership capabilities to lead in your own way
- Gain the confidence and trust of those you lead and empower them for present and future success
Scientific Leadership and Career Transition Coaching
Senior Leaders & Mid-level Managers
Customized programs to meet specific needs of leaders and their teams. Contact me to explore opportunities to refine your leadership soft skills and increase your team productivity!
Graduate Students, Post-docs, & Fellows
Group coaching empowers those entering the job market for short-term and long-term success. Participants gain clarity and confidence in their soft skills and natural ways to market themselves.
Career Transition & Re-entry
Designed to help you explore career options that bring you contentment and joy as well as align with your purpose, values, and strengths.
Next programs with a Gallup-certified strengths coach start in June.