Leading from the lab
Prizes and awards series
In the fourth of our series featuring this year’s 2020 prize and award winners, we turn to the topic of leadership in scientific research.
Where will the next great leaders in scientific research come from? How can the chemical sciences community take a bolder role in shaping the research agenda? Who will inspire politicians and engage the public to galvanise support for the chemical sciences?
These are questions that the chemical sciences community needs to address, as highlighted in our Science Horizons report.
Leadership is a key enabler of scientific progress. But what does good leadership look like in the context of the chemical sciences?
Leadership is an art and a science
Influence is the foundation of effective leadership. And it reaches beyond intellect. It requires a level of emotional intelligence that enables the leader to create more connected and motivated teams. To engage hearts and minds, they must tap into the ‘heart’ of those they want to affect.
Of course, there are other attributes and skills that a leader requires, but without the ability to influence a leader cannot effect change.
If we are to realise the ambitious goals we set out in Science Horizons, the chemical sciences needs leaders; and leadership that takes a broader role across fields in driving science forward collaboratively.
We’ve committed to recognising leadership as part of our evolution of our Prizes and Awards portfolio. We want to highlight excellence in leadership, and to inspire future leaders. Leadership takes many different forms within the chemical sciences. For example, an individual may demonstrate their leadership by:
- initiating and sustaining transformation with, for and through others;
- building enduring interdisciplinary, cross-sector or international partnerships and structures;
- successfully championing emerging areas of importance;
- achieving change on the ground or beyond a person’s direct area of responsibility or benefit.
We will showcase leaders who break down barriers and open up new and extraordinary opportunities in science. This is will be an important step in modernising the way we recognise excellence in the chemical sciences.
The unexpected leader
According to author and 'optimist' Simon Sinek, leadership is a learnable skill; the first requirement is that you have to want to be one.
But what if it’s thrust upon you?
It’s common in research culture for an individual to find themselves in a leadership role when they've reached expert status in their field.
It’s a conundrum that faced Melanie Sanford, winner of the 2020 Catalysis in Organic Chemistry Award. Melanie’s research group at the University of Michigan aims to develop new chemical reactions that enable the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and fuels in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner.
"I am motivated by solving challenging problems as well as by the possibility of discovering new and unexpected things that are outside of the original problem that my group was trying to solve,” Melanie says. “I am also motivated by working with and training highly energetic and motivated undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs and seeing them learn and progress as scientists."
Melanie sees mentoring as a crucial part of her role.
"Figuring out the most effective ways to mentor, advise, and motivate young researchers has been my biggest challenge as a faculty member," Melanie says.
"This is not something that you receive any training in before you start as a professor. And honestly, it is the most important thing that you do, as it is critical for both the trajectory of your research program and for the careers of the researchers that work with you. It is especially challenging because every student is different (with different background, motivations, interests and career goals), so determining how to balance individualized mentoring with group expectations is extremely challenging."
Mentoring, as we explore next, is not only an effective way to foster leadership talent, it can help researchers throughout their career.
The leader as mentor
Some of the world’s most prominent business leaders have gone on the record to extol the importance of mentorship. Sir Richard Branson once said, "It's always good to have a helping hand at the start. I wouldn't have got anywhere in the airline industry without the mentorship of Sir Freddie Laker" (of Laker Airways).
The business of leadership is widely debated within the commercial sector, not least because there’s no consensus on exactly what makes a great leader.
A CEO, most certainly, needs to have a vision that inspires and motivates others. They need courage and confidence. They must drive a culture that attracts and retains the best talent. They must anticipate and mitigate potential crises. They must create value for their shareholders and investors. The breadth of a leader’s responsibility is vast.
This characterisation of leadership applies to Principal Investigators (PIs) in a research setting too. However, leadership attributes and skills are often not part of traditional academic career development. It stands to reason then that mentoring fills a knowledge support gap. For some mentees, it has had a profound and long-lasting effect.
Nick Long is the Sir Edward Frankland BP Endowed chair in inorganic chemistry at Imperial College London.
"I have been blessed with some superb mentors throughout my career. From Mr Ken Jones, my chemistry teacher at Rodway/Mangotsfield Comprehensive School in Bristol, to Professor Eddie Abel (PhD supervisor at Exeter) and Professor, the Lord Jack Lewis (Fellowship host at Cambridge), who all passed on so much passion, enthusiasm and wisdom, and for whom the phrase ‘gentlemen and scholars’ could not be more apt."
Nick’s wide-ranging research experience in applied synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry earned him the 2020 Frankland Award.
"I want to make a difference," he says. "That may be via mentorship and inspiration to the undergraduates, postgraduates and research fellows that I teach and supervise, or via my research findings having an impact on academia, industry, or society and the general public."
For Rachel O’Reilly, winner of the 2020 Corday-Morgan Prize, nurturing talent is part and parcel of working on solutions to society’s big issues.
Head of the school of chemistry at the University of Birmingham, Rachel’s research group studies the functions and processes of polymers, largely with the aim of mimicking natural biological materials.
"I welcome the big asks, because the way to address these is through mentoring and encouraging talented young scientists – and contributing to the development of the scientific community," Rachel says.
"We all have a role to play in encouraging a 'can-do' attitude in others – encouraging them not to be afraid of changes, challenges and the big ideas; this kind of encouragement is something that I am blessed to have had from my mentors and colleagues. I hope to pass this spirit of encouragement on to everyone I work with."
Award-winning mentoring support
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s mentoring scheme offers members the chance to become a mentor or mentee.
The training that mentors receive helps boost their confidence and improves relationships with their colleagues, and their performance in their current role. Mentees benefit from the experience of their mentor who can help guide them towards their professional goals.
Our mentors are willing and enthusiastic volunteers, and they tell us how rewarding it is to 'give back' to their community. You can find out more about the scheme on our website.
Find out more…
- Visit our winner gallery to explore more of our 2020 Prizes and Awards winners.
- Read our Science Horizons report to learn more about emerging trends and priorities in scientific research.
- Explore how we are re-thinking recognition to make our science prizes fit for the modern world.
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