The value of EMBO... part two!

The EMBO Post-Doc Leadership Course was an incredibly motivating and valuable step in our journey toward independent research leadership.

Over three days, we explored practical tools for leading teams, managing projects, and communicating with clarity and empathy.

We began by developing self-awareness and trust, learning to “lead from within” by aligning leadership with our personal values. This sparked deeper reflection on what drives our work and opened up conversations with peers about how to define and communicate those values as future team leaders.

A key theme throughout the course was understanding—not just managing—people, and through this we learned to understand ourselves better too. We explored how emotions shape behaviour and how important it is to approach others with curiosity rather than judgment. This shift in perspective helped us recognise the value of empathy in navigating challenging situations and team dynamics with greater confidence.

We also focused on motivation, feedback, and conflict resolution. We gained tools to support team members’ growth, such as the ‘GROW’ coaching model, and learned how to adapt our leadership style to individual needs. Understanding that motivation and behaviour vary between people reinforced the importance of listening actively and responding with flexibility and care, without neglecting the importance of empowering others to take on responsibility and solve problems on their own (Don’t be surprised if we pass you the monkey!).

Finally, the course reinforced the role of leadership in creating inclusive, supportive, and adaptive research environments. We left with a stronger sense of how to foster collaboration, mutual respect, and a shared vision within a team.

Overall, the course has not only equipped us with a leadership toolkit but also marked the beginning of a journey to more intentionally define the values that will shape how we lead—and how we grow—with our future teams.

Mariana, Ewoud, Joannah and Tom