Talent retention is becoming just as critical as scientific output. In science, success is often measured by what we produce: data, publications, and discoveries. But for many scientists who step into leadership roles, whether running a lab, managing a research team, or leading in industry, the work suddenly shifts. It’s no longer just about solving scientific problems; it’s about navigating the human ones. And that can feel unfamiliar, even daunting. What happens when the skills that got you here aren’t enough to lead others forward, or to keep them engaged and committed?
For many science leaders, this transition can feel like being dropped into a new ecosystem without a field guide. Suddenly, success isn’t just about generating insight, but about creating a culture where others can thrive, one where people feel motivated, psychologically safe, and committed for the long haul. This kind of culture is essential for talent retention.
We’ve seen this pattern emerge time and again through our leadership coaching in science: leaders who excel in the technical industry but feel underprepared when it comes to navigating the human one.
So, how can science leaders cultivate cultures that inspire loyalty and support talent retention?
From Precision to People: What Great Science Leaders Understand
Science leadership operates in a context of complexity. Research environments are often high-pressure, funding-driven, and characterised by uncertainty. In these conditions, people don’t just need clarity, they need connection.
A growing body of behavioural science suggests that cultures built on psychological safety, the belief that you can speak up, make mistakes, and take risks without fear of embarrassment or retribution, are central to high-performing teams. They’re also key drivers of Talent Retention. This insight, popularised by Google’s Project Aristotle, applies just as much to a marine biology team mapping coastal ecosystems as it does to an AI lab.
Leadership coaching in science can help new leaders make sense of this shift. Instead of assuming leadership is about control, coaching reframes it as sensemaking: the ability to help others interpret ambiguity, align around purpose, and work together in a shared direction.
Case in Point: Dame Ottoline Leyser’s Approach to Scientific Leadership
Take Dame Ottoline Leyser, plant biologist and Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Known for her advocacy of inclusive, collaborative research environments, Leyser has consistently pushed for a culture in science that values diverse perspectives and team-based achievements over individual prestige.
At UKRI, she has championed changes to how research excellence is defined and rewarded, emphasising the importance of culture, integrity, and leadership in science. In her own words, “we need to stop treating people as disposable and instead build environments that enable them to thrive.”
Her leadership approach combines scientific rigour with a strong commitment to equity and team cohesion, values that help retain talent, especially in high-pressure environments like academia and research. This focus directly supports talent retention in environments prone to burnout.
This is the kind of leadership science the UK needs more of, especially in areas like environmental research and health science, where collaborative effort is key to long-term impact.
What Gets in the Way
Despite the clear benefits, many scientific institutions still reward individual brilliance over collaborative leadership. The culture is often slow to catch up, leaving leaders feeling unsupported and scientists disillusioned.
Without intention, this can lead to what organisational psychologists call “talent leakage”: the slow drain of skilled researchers who burn out, lose trust, or move on. For science leaders who care about their people, this is deeply frustrating. But it’s also an opportunity. Addressing this leakage is central to effective talent retention
Building a Culture That Inspires and Encourages Talent Retention
So what can science leaders do?
Here are a few evidence-informed starting points:
- Listen more deeply. Use tools like structured feedback sessions and regular check-ins to create open channels for communication.
- Normalise vulnerability. Share your own uncertainties or leadership learning curves; it helps others do the same.
- Invest in leadership development. Just as science requires training, so does leading people. Participating in dedicated leadership coaching programmes like we supply here at Barefoot Thinking, tailored to scientific contexts can help leaders evolve their practice.
- Design for collaboration. Create environments, physical and psychological where people are encouraged to think together, not in silos.
- Recognise and reward. Don’t just celebrate outcomes; acknowledge the effort and resilience that went into them.
These aren’t radical ideas. But in many research settings, they’re still far from the norm. Embedding them consistently helps build a culture of loyalty and talent retention.
A Different Kind of Impact
Leadership in science doesn’t have to mean becoming a charismatic visionary or reinventing your personality. It simply means choosing to engage with the human side of the work, the messy, complex, creative part that makes science more than just data.
We believe that leadership coaching can help scientists hold this complexity with confidence and care. Whether you’re running a marine science expedition, managing a postdoc-heavy team, or navigating interdisciplinary industry partnerships, learning to lead as a human being first, and a scientist second, might be your most impactful discovery yet.
Learn more about training and our coaching approachs or explore how we support science leaders across disciplines.
Final Reflection
Loyalty and retention aren’t outcomes you can demand; they’re cultures you can create. And for science to solve the challenges of the 21st century, it needs leaders who can hold space for both rigour and relationship. That starts with you.
