Leading Your Lab
Leadership training for scientists and researchers
Leading Your Lab is a scientist leadership programme that develops the people-leadership skills scientists need to guide teams, manage performance and foster innovation.
In-person workshops | Live virtual sessions | Online learning content
Trusted by leaders in science and research at:
Why scientific leadership matters
Scientists build their careers on analysis, precision and discovery. Yet many find themselves leading people long before they feel equipped to do so. Most have had little preparation for motivating others, navigating conflict or sustaining collaboration under pressure. And in many labs, technical expertise is valued far more than people-leadership skills.
Leading Your Lab bridges this gap.
It equips scientific managers, lab leads and emerging group leaders with the skills, insight and practical tools to develop scientists as leaders. This helps them build teams that communicate well, work with clarity and deliver consistently.
Strong scientific leadership training enables organisations to retain talent, strengthen collaboration and accelerate innovation.
What participants gain
Practical tools to lead labs and research teams with clarity and purpose
Strategies for managing people and team dynamics
Better feedback and communication skills
Confidence to lead people, not just projects
Peer support that continues beyond the programme
”This programme has made an outstanding impact on leadership capacity at the Rosalind Franklin Institute, and we've seen firsthand how it has helped our scientists grow as leaders ... And all the tools and models used are practical and evidence-based, which has been crucial in establishing credibility with our scientists."
- Reshma Roy, Head of People, Rosalind Franklin Institute, Oxford
Programme Overview
Flexible delivery for scientific teams
Effective leadership development for scientists depends on practical, research-informed methods that work in real lab and team settings.
This leadership programme for scientists is available in several formats:
In-person workshops
Face-to-face workshops designed for scientific teams. Highly interactive, with a focus on real-world practice, high engagement and meaningful collaboration.
Live virtual sessions
Focused online sessions for research and operational teams working across sites, disciplines and time zones.
Online learning hub
Support learning between sessions or beyond the core programme with access to digital resources and optional modules to deepen key topics.
Leadership diagnostics (optional)
Use tools including 360 feedback or strengths-based psychometrics to provide increase self-awareness and spark focused development conversations.
1:1 leadership coaching (optional)
One-to-one coaching that helps scientists embed new habits and lead with greater confidence.
Email Support
Optional email support from your trainer is available for 12 months after completing the programme.
Programmes designed for scientific minds
Many scientists want to understand what works and why.
Our research leadership training for scientists is backed by robust evidence and grounded in behavioural science, helping participants apply proven tools in their own research and operational environments.
Each session combines discussion, reflection, case studies and practical frameworks that scientists can use immediately to lead people as effectively as they lead projects.
The approach is clear, relevant, and tailored to the realities of scientific teams.
Who’s it for?
This programme is ideal for organisations developing scientific or technical managers, including:
Group leaders, principal investigators and lab managers
Senior postdocs or scientists moving into line management
Scientific and operational managers responsible for cross-functional teams
HR or L&D leaders building leadership capability in research settings
The training is practical, interactive, and grounded in real-world scientific contexts, ensuring learning is relevant, evidence-based and immediately applicable.
Client feedback
"Managers and colleagues have commented that the skills and knowledge gained from your programmes and coaching has enabled them to get the best out of people, improved their leadership skills and transformed their understanding of emotional intelligence and interactions with others."
- Maggie Brown, Head of HR, Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (formerly part of Cambridge University)
"Since our work with you, team performance has noticeably improved, and our employee engagement scores have increased considerably."
- Vicky Garfitt, Head of Data Activation, Kingfisher plc
"As an early-career scientist and university professor based in Montreal, I took part in this programme over the course of a year. It helped me uncover both strengths and blind spots, and gave me practical, targeted strategies I could implement immediately. I would strongly encourage other emerging leaders to invest in this kind of development."
- Catherine Duclos, Ph.D., Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal
"We've been working with Kate Jennings for many years and her approach to leadership development is very effective. Her work has led to improved performance, behaviours and relationships across our organisation. I would recommend her to others."
- Alison Dickinson, Group Clinical Director, Spire Healthcare plc
"This programme was unlike any other I have been on and it has been nothing short of transformational for me! I am weaving aspects of it into areas of my life both inside and outside of work with great effect ... I am noticeably more confident and self-aware, and feel empowered to develop my career in a way that plays to my strengths and embraces change."
- Dr R Cavanagh, Ecosystems Scientist, British Antarctic Survey
"As a Director responsible for a large and fast-moving team, I reached a point where I needed to pause and reassess how I was showing up as a leader. This programme proved to be an invaluable turning point ... I would wholeheartedly recommend working with Kate to any leader seeking meaningful and practical leadership development."
- A. Vantrajek, Technical Director, IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards)
Leading Your Lab course structure at a glance
In-person course (4-days)
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Leading and managing your lab / team
Boosting motivation and emotional intelligence
Shaping team culture and psychological safety
Building inclusive and diverse teams
Personal reflection and action planning
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Practical tools to help your lab/ team grow.
Reflection on what you’ve tried out and what’s made a difference.
Building competence and confidence in your team
Setting goals that work
Coaching as a leadership skill
The GROW Coaching Model
Skills Practice
Personal reflection and action planning
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Challenging conversations in practice
Staying steady under pressure
Preparing for your own challenging conversation
Extended skills practice on challenging conversations
Influencing styles
Personal reflection and action planning
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Strategic thinking for you and your team
Supporting your team through change
Widening your influence and network
Supporting wellbeing in yourself and your team
Action planning
Review of personal programme objectives and next steps
Virtual delivery (six 2-hour modules)
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The core skills of management and leadership
Key leadership behaviours, skills and knowledge
Engagement and emotional intelligence
Using 12 proven factors to boost team motivation
Action planning
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Setting clear goals – and the challenge of this in research settings
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, including PhD supervisions
Action planning to embed learning
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Different types of difficult conversations
Handling challenging attitudes and behaviours effectively
Handling challenging emotions
Preparing for your own challenging conversation
Action planning to ensure successful outcomes
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Increasing Influence
Identifying your natural influencing style
Communicating and presenting with impact
Action Planning
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Managing change at work
Supporting wellbeing in your team or lab
Using case studies to apply these skills
Action planning
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Strategic thinking for you and your team
Seeing the bigger picture and aligning your actions
Widening your influence and network
Making the most of conferences and other opportunities
Action planning
Contact us to find out more or Schedule a 15 mins meeting.
Next steps
Strong scientific leadership development creates teams that collaborate, innovate, and deliver sustained results.
If you’d like to explore how Leading Your Lab could strengthen leadership across your scientific teams, contact me to find a convenient time or Schedule a 15 mins meeting.
For senior scientists seeking one-to-one coaching support, see our Executive Coaching for Scientists and Researchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The programme includes live workshops or virtual modules, practical tools, and access to ongoing resources. Organisations can also add one-to-one coaching or leadership diagnostics for deeper development.
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Leading Your Lab can be tailored to suit your needs. Our flagship programme runs as a four-day in-person course or as six 2-hour virtual sessions, usually delivered over several months to allow time for practice and consolidation. Timings can be adapted to fit your organisation’s schedule
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Yes. It’s designed for scientists taking on their first leadership roles as well as those have more experience. All our programmes are tailored to the needs and levels of the participants.
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Yes. Each programme is shaped around your organisational context, priorities, and existing leadership frameworks to ensure relevance and impact. You can choose to remove or add topics.
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Sessions are practical, discussion-led and built around real scenarios in scientific environments. We include case studies to make the learning relevant, practical and ready to apply from day one
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Organisations report improved collaboration, clearer communication, and stronger leadership capability across scientific and operational teams. See Testimonials