How to lead a research team

‘The most challenging thing is the management,’ says chemist Josep Cornella who has been leading a research team at the Max Planck Institute for Carbon Research in Germany since 2017. ‘I was good in the fumehood, solving problems and things like that, but then they take you out of that, put you in an office and give you eight people to manage.’

While there are other challenges associated with heading up a lab – attracting funding, preparing lectures – managing a research team is arguably one of the bigger ones. In a recent Wellcome Trust survey of more than 4000 scientists, 80% said they had the skills to manage a diverse team. But of the people being managed, only 11% had been asked for feedback by their supervisor. They also reported experiencing few of the behaviours associated with effective management, like noting achievements, discussing career aspirations and providing support with personal issues.