Leadership Development
Have you recently landed a PI position in academia, a clinical investigator role in healthcare, or your first independent position in industry or government? Congratulations on your remarkable achievements and the fact that you’ve worked tirelessly to get here!
Your first leadership position comes with a variety of challenges, requiring skills you have not learned. Leading people is crucial for your success but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. As a Principal Investigator (PI) or group leader, you are expected to not only build an R and D program but also build relationships with senior leaders and program officers, influence reviewers and colleagues, and effectively manage staff, post-docs, and graduate students. And let’s not forget the stress of clinical RVUs. How do you balance all these responsibilities while meeting the metrics for KPIs, promotion, or tenure without burning out?
I have been where you are...
Making a big leap in leadership! I went from supervising one person to managing a team of 23 members, overseeing a $1 billion/year contract, and leading a research campus of 2,900 people.
Despite preparing myself for years by studying leadership, taking workshops, and reading books, I learned firsthand that the trials of leadership are not easy. I made missteps along the way and witnessed many senior leaders do the same!
It wasn’t until I became a Gallup-certified coach that I truly understood the power of strengths-based leadership. Recognizing a glaring need, I combined Gallup’s 50 years of research on leaders and teams with my own expertise, and created a groundbreaking STEM leadership framework. By uncovering your natural talents and transforming them into strengths, you’ll gain the essential tools to lead people, conquer weaknesses, and achieve your career goals. It’s a simple equation:
Challenges We Can Tackle Together:
- Developing emotional intelligence and leadership soft skills
- Overcoming weaknesses and recognizing blind spots
- Building credibility with department chairs and leaders in your field
- Balancing the demands of research projects without overwhelming your team
- Attracting and retaining top talent
- Increasing team motivation, engagement, and productivity
- Resolving conflict and managing team dynamics
- Communicating expectations and evaluating performance
- Delegating work effectively
- Establishing a positive culture
- Preventing burnout
Services for you
I provide remote and on-site 1:1 coaching for new leaders and group coaching for their teams. Additionally, I provide team-building workshops to enhance collaboration and productivity within your research groups.
When you work with me, you’ll receive personalized reports that rank order your 1-34 talents, along with a manager’s report tailored to your leadership role. Since the chance of another person having the same top 5 talents in the same order as you is 1 in 33 million, I customize your coaching program to fit your goals and talents. Together, we’ll develop your leadership style with actionable steps that work specifically for you. You will gain clarity and confidence not only in leading people but also in building your scientific reputation.
Additionally, I offer customized coaching for your team, revealing not only their collective strengths but also how to energize and motivate each individual. You will gain insights into the unique strengths of your staff, students, and post-docs, allowing you to target your mentorship and maximize their growth, productivity, and career satisfaction.
Outcomes You Can Expect:
- A leadership framework tailored to your unique talents, setting you up for long-term success
- A roadmap to achieve career goals, such as promotions, tenure, and larger leadership roles
- Increased self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to understand and network with others
- The knowledge of how to leverage your unique strengths, manage weaknesses effectively, and lead with authenticity
- A positive strengths-based culture where everyone feels valued and contributes their best
- A reputation for exceptional leadership resulting in enthusiastic trainees and staff eager to work with you
- Happy, engaged, and productive team members
- Less stress and drama, allowing for focused clinical practice and scientific research
- Performance reviews and motivating others become easy with a common language of strengths
- Tools to eliminate burnout and achieve a healthy work-life balance
Most New Leaders Fail
Did you know that 40% of new leaders fail within their first year, and 60% within two years? The journey to tenure or promotion can be long, and many first-time group leaders fail as managers without even realizing it.
Gallup research shows that managers consistently overestimate their leadership abilities compared to what employees experience. Furthermore, only 1 in 10 managers are naturally built to lead people, while the rest of us, myself included, need to learn the skills to lead effectively. I can help you avoid becoming one of these statistics!
You are the Key to your Team's Success
With strengths-based coaching, you will not only become a more confident and effective leader but also inspire your team to reach new heights. Did you know that leaders account for 70% of the variance in team performance, making you the single most important factor for success? When you focus on your employees’ strengths, they become more engaged, leading to higher productivity, lower turnover, and fewer workplace mistakes. In fact, 91% of employees report positive changes after their manager received coaching!
Impact of Strengths
Leaders and team members who routinely use their strengths are 6X more engaged and report 3X higher quality of life, happiness, and better overall well-being. In fact, in a work culture that honors individual strengths, burnout is reduced to near zero among engaged employees. Likewise, when managers provide weekly feedback, team members are 3.6 X more motivated to excel. On top of utilizing strengths, data shows that coaching can lead to additional increases in performance. ³