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? …
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 …
Peer Discussion Guide: Putting your energy where it matters
This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion to help you get more from the established researcher resources. It curates a small selection of related resources and offers a light structure for reflection and conversation. They are not training sessions. They are structured opportunities to pause, think, and learn with others. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them to help you get more from our established researcher resources.
Finding and working with a mentor
Never is working with a good mentor more important than when you are an established researcher, jugging multiple demands and needing a trusted and knowledgeable sounding board. Don’t wait for an official mentoring scheme to find a mentor. Choosing, recruiting, and working with a mentor is a resource developed by Dr Kay Guccione. It explains how choosing and working with a mentor can give you structured time to think through your career, navigate your Institution, and make better‑informed decisions at any stage of your academic journey. It offers practical guidance on identifying the right mentor for you, setting expectations, and getting the most out of conversations so that they genuinely support your professional and career development. What will you take forward? One thing to try: What’s the one challenge where a mentor’s guidance would help you most right now? And who, someone you genuinely trust and find credible, will you reach out to for an informal discussion?
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?
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?
Explore tailored research leadership resources
Established researchers express a wide range of leadership and management needs such as recruitment, performance conversations, delegation, effective meetings, coaching and mentoring skills etc. There is an overwhelming amount of advice out there: some relevant to established researchers, some less so. Rather than re-create it all here, we recommend and connect you directly to open access resources that are tailored to research and academic leaders: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is one leadership challenge you’re dealing with at the moment? Which single external resource could you engage with this week to move forward?