Excellence Everywhere - National University of Ireland, Galway

n Craft a statement that you feel comfortablecommunicating to your peers, superiors, and labmembers. It does not need to be flowery language;it should be ambitious but not a grandiose overstatementof importance.Here are two sample mission statements:n The goal of our laboratory is to be among the mostsuccessful and respected researchers in the areaof cancer genetics. The ultimate goal is to helpdevelop better therapies and cures for cancer. Ouraccess to patients with a unique type of cancergives us an unusual opportunity to do excellentmolecular and population work. We will publishour work internationally and seek out excellentcollaborators. We will be recognized for being fairand collegial colleagues in the broad cancer fieldand as the world’s experts in the cancer that is ourspecialty.n Our lab aims to understand the mechanisms bywhich cells transport proteins. In particular, we willfocus on technical challenges that others have notbeen able to overcome. A main focus of the lab isto train the next generation of scientists. We willcreate an environment that is conducive to learningand testing new skills.Keep in mind that mission statements are notoperating plans or strategic maps for the lab, butdo serve to shape those essential elements. Inaddition, they are not static—they evolve andchange with time. One could read them cynically.But why do that? You are setting out in words yourhopes for your career and maybe for your country’srole in advancing science. Think realistically,but think boldly about what you can do, and thinkproudly about doing it where you are.If you have written a mission statement you arepleased with, try saying it over and over to thepeople in your lab. State it at lab meetings, whenpeople first join the lab, and when you sit downto write a paper. Every decision you make fromnow on, from hiring staff to choosing scientificprojects for the people in the lab to establishinghow communication flows, can be made with thisstatement in mind. It will help remind you to askyourself whether an action being considered is inkeeping with what you want to achieve and howyou want to achieve it.Developing YourLeadership StyleYour mission statement is what sets the course foryour lab, but how do you go about directing andmotivating people to accomplish this vision? Theway you carry out your role as a leader is calledyour “leadership style.” It will depend largely uponyour own personality and the types of experiencesyou have had up to now. For example, you mayfind you feel more comfortable making decisionson your own, without seeking the input of othersin the lab or colleagues. Or you may find it difficultto give unsolicited feedback to your students andpostdocs. After a few months, you will most likelydevelop a style that you feel comfortable with. Butmanagement experts tell us that different stylesare required for different situations and differentindividuals, and that you should practice using avariety of such styles to help you navigate throughdifferent problems and challenges.American management gurus Ken Blanchard andPaul Hershey have written about leadership stylesin terms of a continuing spectrum of directive andsupportive behavior. Directive behavior involvesclearly telling people what to do, how to do it, andwhen to do it, and then closely monitoring behavior.Supportive behavior involves listening to people,providing assistance and encouragement, and thenfacilitating their involvement in problem-solvingand decision-making. According to this model, thedegree to which you direct and support peoplewho work for you is influenced by their level ofcompetence and their commitment to completinga given task.Supportive BehaviorBlanchard and Hershey Model of Leadership StylesLow HighLowSupportingdelegatingDirective BehaviorcoachingdirectingHigh(Adapted from a concept developed by the Center for Leadership Studies, Inc.)managing your many roles51