Leading with Purpose & Precision
Although there is some debate surrounding whether or not successful leaders are born or created, there is one quality they all have in common – excellent decision-making skills. Leadership is a set of behaviors used to help people align their collective direction and execute strategies to reach the common goal of a group or organization. As an effective leader, it is vital to have the ability to think critically and make decisions for the benefit of the team regardless of varying environments and circumstances. To properly guide your team to advantageous outcomes, you must enable groups of people to collaborate and accomplish a mission that they otherwise couldn’t on their own. While navigating uncertainty, unconscious bias, and obstacles can be challenging, with the right plan and purpose a leader can elevate teams to new heights and accomplishments.
Without innovation and the constant strive to adapt to our evolving world and societies, any organization is doomed to fail. In my role as a Marketing & Communication Director and Partner at PQE Group, I have had the opportunity to connect with our global teams and better understand how our diverse perspectives and experiences have shaped the company into an international Life Sciences leader. Every individual on our team is given a voice and opportunity to provide feedback and criticism that enable us to facilitate the most inclusive, positive, and productive workplace possible. A key aspect of achieving this balance is by recognizing our own unconscious biases and how they impact our decision-making processes and mindset.
Unconscious biases are assumptions and prejudgments about groups of people that exist outside of a person’s awareness – and are counterproductive ideologies that everyone has and must be addressed and evaluated. These biases stem from our experiences, social conditioning, and our brain’s tendency to categorize information quickly to make decisions. Unfortunately, these unconscious or implicit biases impact every element of our personal and professional spaces, from team culture to the implementation of policies and more. As an organization with 40 global offices and over 2,000 employees worldwide, PQE Group is a culmination of the diversity and rich culture of our world. We harness and value our differences and work to foster an environment free of discrimination of any kind. By recognizing our biases, celebrating our differences, and implementing training and processes to best position ourselves for unbiased and inclusive decision-making, we can lead teams to success.
Another crucial part of being a great leader is understanding the importance of emotional intelligence. Recognizing how to balance emotion with reason and make decisions that positively impact yourself, employees, stakeholders, clients, and communities is one of the most fundamental aspects of being a leader. Especially in industries like Life Sciences, where decisions are often affecting the lives of people across borders, the stakes are very high and there is no room for error. Leaders must assess all information available to them – from their gut intuition to every piece of data, case study, analysis, and feedback provided, and create the most well-rounded and comprehensive plan. Many times this may be under immense stress or pressure, but this is also why delegation and teamwork are so important for any business.
Intricately assessing your team, objectives, and procedures on a regular basis is the only way to keep an organization moving forward. Whether it is mitigating internal biases through reflective practice, evaluating real-world data and experiences to transform ideas and initiatives, or following your heart as a leader, ensure that every game-time decision is made with thorough recognition of what is best for the enterprise as a whole. If you employ your guidance with purpose and precision infused with innovative strategies, your team is poised for sustainable success in its endeavors.
