A little less conversation, a little more leadership

Leadership is challenging, but also very rewarding (when done well, which it is often not, which is why you should read this blog post, okay, that is enough for this caption, I suppose :) ).

In my last two posts, I discussed something that is not emphasized enough in science - teamwork. In order to create rock star teams (I'm talking Rolling Stone level rock stars), we need to foster collective intelligence, the ability of a team to solve problems. We've already touched upon team processes and systems for collecting team contributions. Now we're moving on to something else that we often get wrong, leadership.

Leadership as a skill was not something that I was formally taught in school. Yet, it's one of the most important abilities to hone and practice. I don't care if you are a Fortune 500 CEO, a community soccer coach, or a big sister, leadership is a necessary part of life and many people are terrible at it.

Yes, there were workshops I attended along the way. But a single session, even once a year, is not enough to make someone a good leader (it may provide a decent free lunch*cough* I mean helpful knowledge).

As a scientist, I was frustrated. It was as if the system was saying, you are a scientist, focus on conducting science. That leadership stuff, you'll figure it out. But the evidence does not support this! (Maybe that could go on a pair of socks?).

Leadership is not as an inherent talent or something to stumble upon. It is a teachable skill to develop and improve.

"The best leaders, whether by choice or because they are forced to, become students of leadership" - Simon Sinek

In Adam Grant's Hidden Potential (1), he describes that our idea of a "good leader" is usually off. "When we select leaders, we don't usually pick the person with the strongest leadership skills. We frequently choose the person who talks the most. It's called the babble effect... We mistake confidence for competence".

Leaders often talk a lot (or to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, they might as well be blowing air into our faces, it would be just as useful). A leader shouldn't be taking up all of the air in the room.

"The people to promote are the ones with the prosocial skills to put the mission above their ego - and team cohesion above personal glory. They know the goal isn't to be the smartest person in the room; it's to make the entire room smarter."

When I was younger, I thought that someone like me, someone who listens and observes first and then weighs in, was not "leadership material". But what sets leaders apart is not how loud we are, it is how well we listen. Putting people first, yields better team performance (it's also a whole lot more fun!).

There is a lot to be said on leadership and we will delve further in future posts. I'm also excited to introduce some badass leaders making a splash in the scientific world! But all of this will have to wait, as a new episode of The Pitt has come out and I have a couch potato cat that is waiting to watch with me.

Until next time, dream big, love fiercely, laugh often, and sparkle.

References:

1. Grant, Adam. Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. Viking, 2023.