Life sciences leadership – Excel at any level

Are you a life science leader?

A life science leader is anyone who has the ability to impact, inspire, and influence others. An effective leader is infectiously motivated and is truly passionate about achieving a shared vision and/or goal. Across the trajectory of your life sciences career, you will not always be in charge, but that shouldn’t stop you from exercising your leadership skills, you can be a leader without the title.

"To be an effective leader, you have to lead the organization by example and the best way for me to build credibility and to gain the respect of others is to set standards and follow these standards myself"  

Dr. Reinhard Kleyna - Site Leader Laetus & Global Director DBS at Danaher ApS 

Why listening is important in leadership | Life Science Leaders Series

Management and leadership are often used interchangeably but whilst there is some overlap, there are significant differences between the two. The key difference is that leaders inspire while managers oversee. Leaders work to influence, motivate, and encourage their teams to achieve a shared vision, whereas managers typically focus on organizing and delivering on tasks.

The life sciences industry is fast-paced and continuously evolving, making clear and directive leadership pivotal. Faced with a number of challenges such as mounting cost pressures, innovation in technology, more collaboration across companies, and emerging public health emergencies, life science leaders need to be able to have clear priorities and keep up with ever-changing advances in R&D and technology.

Life Science Leaders Series

Life science leaders truly shape the trajectory for the success of a company and its products. In our Life Science Leaders series, we hear insights and advice from industry leaders who reflect on their journey into leadership and share what they have learned along the way to help others progress.

Women CEO and Founders Series

It’s no secret that women have historically faced greater barriers than men when it comes to becoming leaders in our society and even though this situation is improving, and women are slowly becoming more visible in leadership roles there is still a long way to go. In our Women CEO and Founders series, we hear from inspiring female founders and CEOs from the life sciences industry, who share their journey to becoming a leader and advise others wanting to step into executive roles.

Whether you are a first-time manager, a senior director, or somewhere in between, there are key leadership skills and qualities that every leader must master, creativity, communication, decision-making and problem-solving are four of the most important ones.

"Passion and enthusiasm, as a leader, is driven by the incredible opportunities life sciences brings to mankind"  

Andreas Worbeg - Chief Technology Officer at Cellugy ApS 

Become a leader by networking | Life Science Leaders Series

Identify your strengths

Once you understand where your strengths lie you can identify where you can add value. Discover your strengths by taking our online quiz.

Learn from proven leaders

Learning from proven leaders can help you determine the characteristics of specific leadership styles and which styles you’d prefer to use in the workplace. You can also learn how other leaders have used their skills and qualities to exemplify a certain leadership style successfully.

Discover leadership resources

There are many resources available that can help you develop your leadership qualities. You can read books, watch videos and listen to podcasts, such as the Proclinical podcast, that feature industry leaders or are focused on professional development.

“Never be intimidated to be hiring people much, much smarter than you. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, but you need to know how to make the smartest decisions.”   

Jane Papadaki – VP of Market Development & Commercial Operations at Immunexpress ApS 

How to identify and hire other leaders | Life Science Leaders Series

For more insight and advice on developing your leadership skills to progress your career and make an impact in the life sciences industry, subscribe to receive the latest information and articles on this topic by email.