Typically, graduate programs provide little, if any, training in management or leadership. Even if the graduate student expresses interest, he/she can be, at times, discouraged from pursuing extra-curricular interests (such as business or leadership courses) that would distract them from their research.

I think it would become incredibly valuable if more science PhD students were encouraged to pursue courses that would strengthen their leadership and management skills. These young scientists would bring better efficiency in managing their research projects and labs.

Even if these individuals transition to a job in a non-science or non-research position, we should not look at the situation as if we’ve lost a scientist, but we should think of this as sending out a scientist to serve our society. Beyond a doubt, these individuals would bring a scientific approach to whatever job/task they are performing. I firmly believe, and I know that many agree, that bringing a scientific approach to other fields would be of an incredible value to our society.

If you are a graduate program chair or PI, consider encouraging your students to take business and/or management courses.

If you are a graduate student who is interested in leadership, speak with your PI frankly about your interest in a business class or two. If you are not allowed to do this, consider developing your business, management, or leadership skills on your own. Visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore and find management/leadership books. I highly recommend the following authors: John C. Maxwell and Ken Blanchard.

The following article written by Patricia Gosling and Bart Noordam was published in Science Careers a few months ago. I think it does a great job highlighting some of the communication challenges that PhD students face in figuring out how to communicate effectively with their supervisors. In addition, the article provides helpful advice for students to maximize the benefits of interacting with their PhD supervisors.

Mastering Your Ph.D.: Better Communication With Your Supervisor

While the article was written specifically for PhD students, it addresses universal communication concepts that are relevant and can be very helpful in many other settings. We hope you find the article helpful.

Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond by Patricia A. Gosling and Bart D. Noordam.

This book is an outstanding guide for prospective PhD students or those who are early on in their graduate career. However, since the book also addresses critical issues, it will be useful to any student, regardless of year, who is struggling with the challenges of graduate school.

The topics discussed in the book include advice on how to get started successfully, how to communicate with your PI effectively, how to plan, and deal with common challenges that emerge through graduate school.

While written specifically for PhD students in the sciences, the book addresses universal concepts that will prove to be useful for any PhD student.

Grab a copy of Mastering Your PhD from Amazon.com today for yourself or for a PhD student you know.

This category is dedicated to highlighting ideas and areas of our science education and training, where we may want to change, improve, emphasize, or eliminate.

Read the latest blog posts about Science Education.