Leading your Lab - a practical programme for scientists
Leadership and Management Development for Scientific Organisations
The sample programmes below show examples of the topics we can cover, tailored to suit both in-person one-day modules and shorter virtual sessions.
All programmes are designed to engage scientific thinkers with content that’s practical, relevant and grounded in evidence.
Course delivery options
In-person format
4 x full-day workshops
Facilitated at your organisation or off-site venue
In-depth, reflective and practice-rich
Optional coaching and follow-up support available
Virtual format
6 x 2-hour interactive online modules
Delivered live via Zoom or Teams
Bite-sized, focused and easy to schedule
Optional coaching and follow-up support available
In-person course (4-days)
Session 1: Leading people in scientific organisations
Leading and managing your lab / team
Introductions – confidentiality, research base of the programme
Understanding what effective management means
Core behaviours, skills and mindsets for effective people leadership
Flexing your style to meet the needs of individuals, teams and tasks
Using action-centred leadership to guide priorities and balance demands
Balancing what we deliver with how we work together
Boosting motivation and emotional intelligence
Engagement science - what really drives engagement in teams
The top 12 factors that support motivation and performance
Building emotional intelligence in yourself and others
Giving and receiving feedback – across, down, and up
Shaping team culture and psychological safety
Defining the team culture you’d like to create
Building psychological safety in your team or lab
Understanding the impact of blame-free, learning-led cultures
Bringing your organisation’s values to life
Strengthening collaboration within and across other teams
Building inclusive and diverse teams
Exploring what diversity means – beyond metrics
Understanding the effects of unconscious bias
Considering generational differences and leadership expectations
Harnessing cognitive diversity through constructive disagreement
Personal reflection and action planning
Session 2: Coaching and developing your team for high performance
Practical tools to help your team grow, take ownership and deliver great work.
What have you been using since last time?
Reflect on what you’ve tried out and what’s made a difference.
Building competence and confidence in your team
Understanding how people grow skills and self-belief
Using the Lead / Manage / Do model to prioritise and improve performance
Delegating to develop, not dumping through despair
Holding effective 1:1s and supervisions — including with PhD students
Setting goals that work
Setting clear, measurable, time-bound goals and objectives
Discussing the challenge of goal setting in research-focussed teams and how to make it clearer
Reviewing progress against goals to ensure accountability
Coaching as a leadership skill
Asking better questions to helping others to think and solve problems
Distinguishing between ‘telling’ and supporting others to think for themselves
Learning the power of listening — and how not to rush in
Understanding what “Managing the Kitten” really means and how it can develop your team and give you more time
The GROW Coaching Model
Learning a simple, structured 4-step model: GROW
Using it to help others take ownership and find their own answers
Watching a live demonstration and applying it to your own situation
Skills Practice
Practising coaching skills using real work challenges
Getting feedback, building confidence and refining your approach
Personal reflection and action planning
Leave with a clear plan to use your new skills in the team
Session 3: Having challenging conversations and increasing Influence
Confident conversations and greater influence – even in the tough moments
What have you been using since last time?
Reflect on what you’ve tried out and what’s made a difference.
Challenging conversations in practice
Common types of tricky conversations and how to manage them
Setting expectations clearly — including when to say ‘no’
Giving feedback that’s clear, objective and grounded in evidence
Choosing the right approach and structure to fit the situation
Revisiting tools from earlier modules that support difficult conversations
Staying steady under pressure
Gaining attention and buy-in from others
Managing strong emotions and unhelpful behaviours
Recognising and managing your own triggers
Using tone, body language and language to de-escalate
Strengthening emotional intelligence under pressure
Preparing for your own challenging conversation
Questions to clarify your message and approach
Anticipating the other person’s reaction and ways to respond
Extended skills practice on challenging conversations
Using scenarios written for technical teams / organisations
Getting feedback, building confidence and refining your approach
Influencing styles
Identifying your natural influencing style (online questionnaire completed before the course)
Understanding what others are motivated by and using that to increase impact (WIIFM)
Adapting your approach to influence with more clarity and confidenceWorking effectively with senior colleagues and managers — in the team, or at organisational level
Personal reflection and action planning
Session 4: Leading for the future
Strengthen your strategic thinking, widen your network, and create a resilient, responsive team ready for what’s next
What have you been using since last time?
Reflect on what you’ve tried out and what’s made a difference.
Strategic thinking for you and your team
Where do you want to go – and how will you get there?
Taking a strategic view of your career and development
Planning purposefully for yourself and your team / lab
Working on your team, not just in it
Seeing the bigger picture and aligning your actions
Supporting your dev team through change
Using the change curve and other models to understand the process of change
Identifying what is required of a leader during change and/or organisational growth
Understanding different people’s responses to change
Taking your team with you
Avoiding common pitfalls
Applying a range of approaches to your own change situation
Widening your influence and network
Raising the visibility of your work, team and ideas
Navigating the political landscape and influencing effectively
Building supportive networks and collaborations
Making the most of conferences and other opportunities
Supporting wellbeing in yourself and your team
Spotting signs of poor wellbeing – in yourself and others
Everyday actions that support team wellbeingBuilding confidence to have wellbeing conversations with your team and colleagues
Using case studies to apply your skills
Action planning
Review of personal programme objectives and next steps
Virtual delivery (six 2-hour modules)
Module 1: Managing and leading teams in scientific organisations
Core skills to lead with confidence and create a motivated, well managed your lab or team
The core skills of management and leadership
What management looks like day to day in science settings
Key leadership behaviours, skills and knowledge
Adapting your leadership style to suit different situations
Managing up – working well with senior colleagues
Engagement and emotional intelligence
Understanding engagement science
Using 12 proven factors to boost team motivation
Growing emotional intelligence in yourself and your team
Why psychological safety impacts team performance
Practical ways to build psychological safety in the lab
Action planning
Module 2: Coaching and mentoring for high performance
Practical tools to develop your team and boost high performance in your lab or team
Setting clear goals – and the challenges of this in a software environment
Giving and receiving feedback using the EEC model
Building confidence and capability across the team
Using coaching to support problem-solving and ownership
Practising key coaching and mentoring skills
Running effective one-to-ones
Action planning to embed learning
Module 3: Managing difficult conversations
Strategies to handle tough talks with confidence and clarity
Different types of difficult conversations
Identifying and managing tricky conversations in the workplace
Handling challenging attitudes and behaviours effectively
Using communication skills to navigate difficult conversations
Handling challenging emotions
Understanding the impact of words, tone, and body language
Recognising your own triggers and managing your reactions
Gaining the other person’s attention and buy-in
Preparing for your own challenging conversation
Key questions to consider before addressing a tough topic
Anticipating responses and planning your approach
Action planning to ensure successful outcomes
Module 4: Maximising personal impact and influence
Increase your presence and influence inside and outside your organisation
Increasing Influence
Using the circle of control to identify what you can (and can’t) control and influence
Identifying your natural influencing style
Flexing your influencing approach to expand your impact
Adapting your tone and body language to shape perceptions
Understanding the difference between intention and behaviour
Communicating and presenting with impact
Presenting yourself with confidence and clarity when face to face or online
Creating impact through your voice and body language
Using the ‘fake it till you make it’ mindset effectively
Delivering clear, impactful messages
Action Planning
Applying your new skills into practice with actionable steps
Module 5: Leading through change and supporting wellbeing
Practical strategies to guide your team through uncertainty and create a healthy, sustainable working culture
Managing change at work
Using the change curve and other models to understand the process of change
Identifying what is required of a leader during change and/or organisational growth
Understanding different people’s responses to change
Taking your lab / team with you
Avoiding common pitfalls
Applying a range of approaches to your own change situation
Supporting wellbeing in your team or lab
Practical ways to support your own and your team’s wellbeing
Spotting signs of poor wellbeing – in yourself and others
Building confidence to have wellbeing conversations
Using case studies to apply these skills
Action planning
Session 6: Thinking strategically and expanding your network
Tools to shape your direction, grow your network, and make an impact
Strategic thinking for you and your team
Where do you want to go – and how will you get there?
Taking a strategic view of your career and development
Planning purposefully for yourself and your lab / team
Working on your team, not just in it
Seeing the bigger picture and aligning your actions
Widening your influence and network
Navigating the political landscape and influencing effectively
Raising the visibility of your work and ideas
Building supportive networks and collaborations
Making the most of conferences and other opportunities
Action planning
