The Drexler–Sibbet Team Performance Model offers a practical roadmap for building and sustaining effective project teams. It maps seven predictable stages that teams move through – from initial orientation to high performance and renewal – each centred on a core question that the team must answer well before it can progress. For established researchers, who assemble new teams from scratch for specific grants or projects, often across institutional boundaries and with people who have not worked together before, the model is particularly valuable because it makes visible the work that typically goes undone: establishing shared purpose, building trust, and agreeing how decisions will be made, before the real delivery pressure begins. The seven stages and their central questions are: The model is also useful as a diagnostic when a project team is struggling: it helps identify whether the underlying problem is unresolved purpose, lack of trust, unclear roles, or something else entirely – each of which requires a different response. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Think about a project team that underperformed or felt difficult to lead. Looking at the seven stages, at which point did the foundations start to feel shaky, and what would you …
Adapt your leadership style according to project phase and team
Note: This article requires access via HBR or an institutional library subscription. This classic Harvard Business Review article by Daniel Goleman draws on research with nearly 4,000 leaders to identify six distinct leadership styles and, crucially, the conditions under which each is most and least effective. Although written for a business audience, its framework translates directly to the research context, where the same researcher may need to lead a bid development team, manage a large multi-site delivery team, mentor an early career researcher, and navigate a difficult partner relationship – often within the same project lifecycle. The article’s central argument is that leadership style is not a fixed personality trait but a deliberate choice, and that the most effective leaders notice, and switch between styles fluidly as circumstances demand. “Research is a team sport. Be clear whether your greatest contribution is as the ‘star striker’ or the ‘coach,’ and align your role accordingly.” Nick Plant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, University of Leeds. Read more from Nick. For those leading research, four styles are especially worth developing: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Thinking about your current or most recent project, which leadership style did you default to? …
Understand what drives performance in distributed project teams
This Deloitte Insights article draws on survey research to identify what most strongly predicts team effectiveness in distributed, digitally-mediated working environments. Although written for a broad organisational audience, its findings translate directly to the research context: researchers leading time-limited, multi-site projects who need to assemble and sustain productive teams across institutional boundaries. The research is particularly valuable because it moves beyond assumptions about tools and technology to identify the relational factors that most reliably determine whether distributed teams succeed or struggle. The article’s central finding is striking – whether a team member has strong digital skills or access to good employer-provided tools matters less than whether they are part of a well-functioning team. For those leading complex, multi-institutional projects this reframes the challenge: the priority is building the conditions for team effectiveness, not just getting the logistics right. Three factors are identified as critical: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: In your current or next project team, what would need to be true for every member to feel safe raising a problem or admitting they don’t know how to do something — and how would you create that condition across institutional boundaries?
Learn approaches to setting up and managing a research lab
This practical guide to setting up and managing a lab at a research intensive institution by Bob Goldstein and Prachee Avasthi explores key considerations for researchers transitioning into a principal investigator role. It has many practical suggestions, however, for those who already experienced at managing research groups. It highlights the early decisions that shape the trajectory of a research group, including negotiating resources, designing lab space, recruiting a team, and establishing effective ways of working. Many of these aspects of lab leadership are rarely taught formally, meaning new PIs often learn through experience. The guide helps make these hidden elements of running a lab more visible. For Lab Builders, the resource highlights how decisions about infrastructure, hiring, and working practices can have long-term consequences for productivity and culture. Key insights include: The central message is that building a research group requires both scientific vision and organisational leadership. Early attention to infrastructure, relationships, and culture helps create the conditions for a productive research environment. “Recruitment and people management are central to success. Hire carefully and manage individuals, not generic roles.” Benjamin Lichman, Senior Research Fellow / Senior Lecturer, University of York What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which …
Plan and manage your research group budget
This practical Science Careers article by Megan T brown introduces the financial realities of running a research group for the first time. Whilst framed for early career researchers, this guide has much practical advice for Established Researchers. The article provides a clear overview of the financial principles PIs need to run a sustainable research group. The resource is particularly relevant because it emphasises treating the lab as a small organisation with its own financial model. It highlights the importance of understanding institutional and funder rules, staff costs, equipment planning, and aligning spending decisions with longer-term research priorities. Key insights include: For new Lab Builders, the central message is that financial stewardship is a core leadership responsibility. Good budgeting enables researchers to support their team and respond strategically to emerging opportunities. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: How well do you understand the financial structure of your grant funding – and what conversations with finance colleagues might strengthen your financial planning?
Build a research group culture that is open, collaborative, and intellectually rigorous
This short but highly practical opinion paper by Gerd Gigerenzer sets out a series of “simple heuristics” for building and sustaining a successful research group. The paper is especially useful for Lab Builders because it focuses not just on research strategy, but on how to create the conditions in which people can do ambitious, collaborative work together. In particular, it highlights the value of having: This resource is particularly valuable for academics moving from being an individual researcher or leading a small team to leading a much larger team, because it makes visible the often-overlooked work of shaping culture, not just delivering outputs. “Collective impact and strong research culture matter more than individual achievement alone.” John Flint, Deputy Vice President – Research, University of Sheffield What will you take forward? One thing to try: Pick one or two “heuristics” from this paper that would most strengthen the culture of your group right now. Make a plan to put them into practice consistently.
Leadership in a time of jeopardy: realism about promotion, leverage and the realities of academic middle management
Jamie Blaza Role: Research Fellow and ProfessorDiscipline: ChemistryInstitution: University of York Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I was appointed to the University of York in 2018 to establish cryo-electron microscopy and launch my independent research career. In 2021, I was awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. I lead the York Bioenergetics Lab within the larger York Structural Biology Laboratory. My career path has moved through Leeds, Singapore and Cambridge before York. Along the way I have learned that academic careers are often framed in grand language, but the day-to-day reality can look quite different. One myth I have found helpful to challenge is the way academic careers are dressed up with elaborate titles. With my team, I often say that much of what I do would simply be called middle management in any other organisation! You look after your team, secure funding, and negotiate upwards. Framing it this way made the role clearer and more manageable for me. On leadership roles, in an ideal world you would apply when it suited your career stage. In practice, roles often need to be …
Leading an institutional move with a research team, navigating what cannot be controlled, and prioritising the success of others over my own agenda
Contributor role: Chair in Comparative Politics Discipline: Politics and International Relations Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story Whilst holding a Future Leaders Fellowship, I was contacted to apply for my current professorial position, was successful in my application and moved institutions with my research team and centre thereafter. Moving institutions is a complex process when it involves not only the Fellow but also their research team members. In my case, I discussed the opportunity with my team members before applying and only proceeded after serious consideration of their preferences and feedback. Not all team members physically moved to the new university, which created additional challenges in maintaining established ways of working across institutions. No matter how much you prepare and organise, not everything will be under your control. This applies to institutional processes as much as to interpersonal relations within research teams. For example, most of my team members required visas to continue working in the UK upon institutional transfer. I started discussions with HR teams at both universities well in advance and informed all relevant parties of the need …
From over-ambitious projects to clear lab vision: learning patience, focus and the power of hiring the right people.
Benjamin Lichman Role: Senior Research Fellow / Senior LecturerDiscipline: BiochemistryInstitution: University of York Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story In the early stages of running my lab, I wanted to embark on all research projects available to me: new projects for collaborative work and new projects for each new idea that I had. I have diverse interests, and that felt exciting. Over time, however, my group started to feel incoherent and fragmented. There was energy, but not enough shared direction. Through a training session, I was encouraged to give my lab a clear “vision” and “mission”. I explicitly classified projects into subgroups and began to ask whether new work genuinely fitted that vision. I now try not to take on work that cannot sit clearly within those themes. This has helped bring lab members towards a common goal and has clarified what we do to external parties. Patience has also been a key lesson. Be patient with the publications, they will come and the best can take many years to materialise. Methods and experiments that worked before will not necessarily work the …
Getting feedback from others and becoming more self-aware
Sometimes we are so busy getting on with things that we don’t realise we have grown in our role. Getting feedback from others can help you to identify your hidden strengths, in order to feel ready to apply for that more strategic leadership role. This feedback might be collected through a structured exercise, such as a 360 degree feedback questionnaire, if your institution offers this (often linked to a leadership programme or coaching). However, there are other ways to get feedback from those around you, such as asking people to describe you in three words, or (perhaps as part of an away day exercise) inviting people to give anonymous contributions on things they think you should start – stop – continue doing. Consider gradually incorporating feedback requests into your regular group, collaborative, or one-to-one meetings, so it becomes a natural habit. This normalises the practice, and your team and colleagues will gradually come to expect these requests and be prepared with responses. Initially, be aware that people may be caught off guard and respond with vague answers like, “No, everything is fine.” To encourage more constructive feedback, ask specific questions. For example, instead of asking, “Do you have any feedback …
Understand your group culture
As your responsibilities grow, it’s likely that you are spending less and less time ‘on the ground’ with your research group. A quick culture “temperature check” can help you to understand team dynamics, identify emerging issues, and ensure a positive, productive environment. Here are some quick ideas to help you get a sense of what the culture is like in your research group, lab or collaboration: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: If your team described the culture in one word today, would it match your intention, and what would you want to strengthen or shift?
Quick overview of leadership and management advice and tools for research leaders
The range of leadership and management tools, models and advice that will help you navigate your role is overwhelming. Here’s a collection of basics from Imperial’s Academic’s Success Guide. Perhaps take a look at a different topic each month. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Choose just one area to strengthen in the next few months. Which would have the greatest positive impact on your research group, team or collaboration?
Plan an effective induction to the lab
This induction resource from eLife was developed specifically to support you with designing a programme for new members of staff, research students, or visitors to your lab, to help them get off to a better and more productive start. It includes: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Are there unwritten rules in your lab that you assume people will pick up, and what would change if they were named explicitly?
Learn from research exemplars: lab management practices
This PLOS One publication shares core lab management practices used by PIs to promote rigorous research and ensure a positive and proactive attitude towards health and safety and other compliance expectations. It’s useful for research leaders and academic administrators aiming to improve the quality and integrity of scientific work and address challenges such as inconsistent data quality across projects or confusion over responsibilities for different lab members. (Go direct to table of exemplars here). What will you take forward? One thing to try: Which one practice from these exemplars will you adopt straight away to improve clarity or consistency in your own lab?
Create a group charter or lab book
A research group charter or team / lab manual helps set clear expectations, shared values, and standard practices so that your group can collaborate efficiently and avoid confusion. They can be a valuable resource for getting new recruits up to speed quickly, saving you time during induction. Some research leaders send the manual to prospective students or postdocs so that they can see what to expect from the team. There are many examples of these available for you to adapt to your own circumstances. However, one of the most important things is that these are living documents, and the team feel a sense of ownership over them. The conversations around what should go in them are as valuable as the documents themselves. The following resources help you think about how you might approach writing a manual, charter or handbook for your group. If one of the aims of your team charter is to ensure your team is inclusive, you may find these resources provide some helpful considerations: Finally, this handbook-type resource was created by the Turing Institute to reflect some of the collaborative and interdisciplinary challenges in data science, with practical tools and solutions to address these. It includes advice …
Toolkit for mentors: advancing your practice
This mentoring toolkit produced by the Future Leaders Fellows Development network supports new and experienced mentors to reflect on their mentoring skills and practice. It draws on insight from both mentors and mentees in academic mentoring programmes, covering topics such as setting clear expectations for the partnership, use coaching frameworks, asking better questions, and support mentees’ confidence and growth (including when challenged by the sorts of ‘imposter-type’ feelings that are common in academia). If you are completely new to mentoring, here are two resources that may also be of interest: What will your take forward? One thing to consider: How intentional are you about what you want your mentees to gain from working with you, and how clearly is that currently articulated?
Coaching skills for research leaders – develop a coaching approach
As you progress in your career you will be balancing research leadership and administration demands with often complex team dynamics, managing individuals at various career and contract stages. It’s impossible to be the expert in everything and you may find that trying to give advice simply isn’t working. A coaching approach can help you to support your team members to grow in confidence, step up to new challenges and responsibilities and take ownership of their own careers. This Imperial resource explains the value of a coaching approach, sharing practical tools such as powerful questioning and listening techniques which will help you build and apply these skills to improve both your leadership effectiveness and your team’s performance. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Where might asking better questions, rather than giving advice, change how you develop independence for someone in your team?
Effective induction practices – from the Academic’s Success Guide
Induction sets the tone for how people experience your research group. These resources offer a clear, structured way to support new staff and doctoral researchers at key transition points, helping them settle quickly, understand expectations, and access the right support without adding unnecessary burden to you as a PI. This short induction guide (scroll down to the Induction section) provides practical guidance for inducting new research staff and doctoral researchers, from pre-arrival through the first weeks and early expectation-setting. It helps established PIs support new starters to settle quickly, understand expectations, and access appropriate support from the outset. Some materials are adapted from Imperial College London and are included for their principles rather than as direct templates. Induction processes differ across institutions. Here are the relevant web pages for the White Rose universities: See also: The Induction guidelines provided as part of the Future Leaders Fellows resource on effective recruitment. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What assumptions do you currently make about what new starters should already know, and which of these would benefit from being made explicit?
Review and enhance your recruitment practices
Your recruitment decisions have far-reaching and long-standing consequences for your career and impact – the right decisions can help you to delegate well, expand your research, and develop your ideas. The wrong ones can result in hours or days of performance management, stress, and anxiety for all parties involved. The Recruitment Toolkit created by the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network, is a practical, structured resource for research leaders who are recruiting for the first time or want to improve how they hire team members. This is especially helpful for those new to UK recruitment practices, or those wishing to avoid recruitment fails that they have experienced before. The toolkit: It guides you through every stage of academic/research hiring: The toolkit includes: What will you take forward? One thing to try: If you could apply just one piece of advice from the toolkit, which single aspect of your current recruitment practice would you enhance? A more robust person spec? Use of a different interview approach? An improvement to your induction practice?