The Research Leadership Toolkit:

As a junior group leader, I started my group a couple of years ago. I believed I would naturally recognise when something was off in my team — if someone felt uncomfortable or if tensions were building. But I quickly realised that this wasn’t the case. Conflicts can develop quietly, and as the team grows, it becomes harder to stay in close contact with everyone. I began to see how easy it is to miss early signs, and how important it is to notice them before they affect the group dynamic or the research. The course helped shift my mindset. I used to think conflict only happened between two people, often because of a misunderstanding or personality clash. But I learned that conflict can grow and spread if not addressed early, and recognising those early signals is a leadership skill on its own. Shortly after the course, I had a situation in my lab where I applied one of the tools I’d learned. Two team members were in conflict, and I facilitated a structured conversation where they each shared their view and listened to the other. What looked like a serious issue turned out to be a misinterpretation, likely due to different languages or cultural backgrounds. What surprised me was how natural the process felt. It wasn’t forced, and both team members appreciated the experience. Since then, I’ve become more observant. I ask more directly if something seems wrong, and I check in regularly. The tools from the course are practical and not energy-consuming, but they’ve made a real difference. They’ve helped me feel more confident in supporting harmony and collaboration in my team.

I enjoyed the experience. The course is comprehensive and covers all the topic’s key aspects. It is well-structured, and the time allocated for each module is appropriate. It really helped me gain more knowledge on this topic and reflect on the problems I faced when I was a team member, and now as a leader. The on-demand format is very useful for organising the time to attend, and it also allows you to return to certain aspects, which I will definitely do in the future. Sometimes, I would have appreciated the possibility to ask questions, but overall, most of the questions that arose were answered during the course. I particularly appreciated the content on communication and conflict tools, as well as negotiation. I think this course should be repeated annually to refresh the information, check progress, and receive support for new problems that may arise within the team.