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Jen Heemstra on Accidental Leadership (CAL 138, S8E3)
Tenure & promotion Episode 3 • 11th February 2026 • Changing Academic Life • Geraldine Fitzpatrick
00:00:00 00:59:44

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Prof. Jen Heemstra from Washington University in St. Louis in the US shares her journey from a research-focused bimolecular engineer to accidental leader and now author of the insightful book 'Lab Work to Leadership.' Jen speaks about the challenges faced by academics moving into leadership, recognisning that we are often untrained and unprepared for these roles. She shares insights from her book focusing on self-leadership, leading others, and coaching future leaders. Jen talks about the importance of building trust, creating a positive lab culture, giving and seeking feedback, and the significance of modeling behavior for emerging leaders. Jen also reflects on her personal experiences, including her struggles to get tenure and maintaining a work-life balance.

00:29 Introduction and Welcome

03:09 The Birth of 'Lab Work to Leadership'

05:43 Navigating Academic Challenges

08:29 The Worst Day: Tenure Rejection

12:14 People Showing Up and Getting Tenure

15:49 Embracing Leadership in Academia That We Are Not Trained For

21:26 Building a Collaborative Lab Culture

30:35 The Importance of Self-Leadership and Self-Awareness

33:27 The Role of Coaches and Mentors

35:02 The Importance of Feedback

37:01 Challenges in Giving and Receiving Feedback

38:46 Understanding Individual Needs in a Lab Environment

43:59 Building Trust and Psychological Safety

49:37 Coaching Future Leaders

56:50 Balancing Professional and Personal Life

58:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

58:56 Outro

Related Links:

About Jen:

Heemstra Lab at Washington Univ in St. Louis

Jen’s webpage and LinkedIn Profile

Book:

Jen Heemstra, Labwork to leadership: a concise guide to thriving in the science job you weren’t trained for, 2025, Harvard University Press

People:

Troy Champ

Resources:

Edwin Catmull and Amy Wallace, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, 2014, Penguin.

Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, 2010, Harper Collins.

Birkman Personality Inventory

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