Learning to lead

"In my 40-year career, I never asked for any of my leadership roles," says Donis Flagello, president, CEO, and COO of Nikon Research Corporation of America. "I was content to be a good lab scientist, but fate usually has a way of intervening. My managers thought I was a good leader, maybe because I always tried to communicate well with everyone. This means listening, explaining your point of view, and having back-and-forth discussions."

According to SPIE CEO Kent Rochford, the transition to a leadership role is a pivotal decision for researchers: A move to management takes you out of the lab, and you eventually reach a point of no return. "I studiously avoided many management opportunities," says Rochford. "When I was 40, I joined a fast-moving startup. After a few months, the core development activities were reorganized into a large department, and I was made manager without much choice. Although it bruised my ego to learn this, I found that I was better at supporting and coordinating R&D groups than actually doing the R&D."

Debbie Gustafson moved from a technical sales role to product manager while also earning an MBA in management. "That was when I knew I wanted to lead teams," says the CEO of Energetiq Technology, Inc. "The complexity of driving the product line with multiple groups, sales, marketing, operations, and finance was a rewarding challenge. Over the next 10 years, I was also responsible for additional departments—customer and technical support."

During her leadership journey, Gustafson relied on mentors to help her navigate the industry. "We learn from our mistakes," she says, "but having a mentor can really help you figure out areas of weakness sooner rather than later."

PhotoniCare CEO Ryan Shelton also credits his leadership success to a mentor—his PhD advisor who gave him "a very long leash" in his lab. "I was able to propose a study in photoacoustic imaging that wasn't part of his current research. Having that independence and leadership ultimately led to my founding PhotoniCare."

Knowing your own personality also helps. "I've always had a habit of being a touch bossy," says Shelton. "So leadership came naturally. I like to control my own destiny, which also plays into why I became an entrepreneur."

Being a mentor can also enhance leaderships skills. After working for five years as an individual contributor in optical-design engineering, Dan Sykora, now vice-president of engineering at Jenoptik Optical Systems, moved into a role that took on optical-systems engineering and project-management responsibilities for new product development at Zygo Corporation. "I gained critical experience working with other disciplines related to the design outputs from mechanical, electrical, software, and procurement groups," says Sykora. "Having enjoyed directing and mentoring colleagues at a program level, it was a natural transition to manage a smaller but growing engineering group at Jenoptik."

Listening is all

The Greek philosopher Epictetus is credited with saying, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." Good leadership not only requires listening to and respecting the opinions of others, it also means managing your ego.

"Your job as a leader is to find excellent people and empower them to succeed," says Shelton. "This may result in people leaving your project because you've helped them succeed, and that's okay. That's part of successful leadership, as well."

Rochford notes that people are often more capable than they think they are. While overly prescriptive directives leave no room for the ideas and innovations that people bring to problem solving, providing clear goals, support, and freedom to fail, can lead to wonderful outcomes. Good leadership communication is about balancing competing demands, opportunities, and constraints, and then letting smart and motivated people do their job. And being placed in a leadership role doesn't necessarily mean that that person has those communication skills.

"At my first job out of grad school, I worked for a truly horrible person who was prone to hyperbole that effortlessly became outright dishonesty," says Rochford. "I quit when I was told to lie during a customer briefing. I learned early that in leadership, integrity, and character are paramount."

One of the most important lessons Gustafson learned was that "each person is motivated differently. It is critical for a leader to understand and support those differences." That element of diversity is critical for an organization's success.

Her own experience with "explosive bosses"—who managed by fear instead of cooperation—led Gustafson to develop a leadership style that encourages discussion.

"I was not successful immediately," she says. "I worked on my skills and continue to do so. And I rely on my staff to assist me if I miss something or need to adapt."

Sykora concurs on the importance of diversity. "Every group should be filled with unique personalities that communicate and interact effectively in different ways," he says. "As a leader, it is important to adapt your own style to best position each group member for success."
Leading by fear to achieve short term goals may appear successful at first, he says, but will erode the culture; talented employees will become frustrated and disengaged, or simply leave for another opportunity.

"History is rife with poor leaders," says Flagello. "If you force people to do things because you are the boss, you will lose their respect, and you will have lost your true leadership. I have always tried to get consensus with people who worked for me. Respectful communication with all those you come into contact with is extremely important, combined with a good modicum of humor." Shakespeare and Epictetus would be proud.

Karen Thomas is the Bandwidth section editor for Photonics Focus.