
How to promote leadership in your team
“Leadership is a choice; it is not a rank."
In a recent TedTalk, leadership expert Simon Sinek discussed the ideal behavioral traits that came with being a good leader. Not only is it essential to value trust and co-operation, but you also need to have the right attitude: one that prioritises the well-being of your team members.
Being able to develop and execute a strong workplace leadership strategy has never been more important. At ICON, we value ongoing learning and development so much that we have factored it into our key strategic pillar of Talent and Leadership Development.
Whether you’re a manager or somebody who’s not yet developed their leadership style and is looking to move into a leadership position, here’s what you need to know to create and nurture a workplace culture of ongoing learning and development.
Do you value team members who learn new skills?
Having an Employee Development Process is vital if you want to retain your workers. Millennials now make up 40% of the average company’s workforce, and as 87% of them say opportunities for professional development within the workforce are extremely important to them, it pays to invest money into bettering your team’s skills and capabilities.
Indeed, at ICON we believe that leadership can be learnt and so we encourage our leaders to engage with our People Leader Academy, which is an internal toolkit of resources, courses and information designed to nurture growth and encourage the best leadership possible. From our Leading for Growth module, which helps leaders to turn resistance into co-operation and maximise new opportunities, to articles that address re-inventing employee performance management, we make sure our leaders are equipped for anything that the challenges of growing employees and developing their workforce can throw at them.
Are you thinking teamwork?
Having a strong, well-performing team is hugely beneficial to any business. As well as encouraging productivity and bringing different viewpoints to the table, teamwork makes for a healthy workplace atmosphere, and it’s something that any great leader should be encouraging.
To do this, leaders need to provide a clear sense of direction for workers, and encourage an open, collaborative workplace culture where communication and teamwork are encouraged. Give your teams the freedom to pursue projects without micromanaging: as a leader, you should provide a steady hand and guidance when needed, but everybody should feel included and like a valued contributor.
Are there projects that will stretch people and develop them?
Employees who feel their voice is heard at work are more likely to feel motivated and produce better-quality work than their counterparts. Keeping teams engaged is all about challenging them at work, and pushing them to learn and develop within their roles- something that we at ICON take extremely seriously when it comes to effective leadership.
Take the time to conduct regular one-on-one sessions with your employees, where you can give them feedback about how they’re performing in the role, open the floor to any questions they may have, and provide guidance on development. Not only will this motivate team members but it also boosts employee engagement.
Are mistakes and failures reflected upon and valued as learning opportunities?
An effective leader should give their team the freedom required to flourish within their role- even if it does sometimes mean letting them make mistakes. This is where leadership and management are different.
Though mistakes in the pharmaceutical industry are largely unwanted, it's important to give people the opportunity to learn from what they’ve done wrong, then to develop within their role as a result. Having a work environment which lets people own up to a mistake rather than keeping it secret- and potentially causing more damage as they do so- will go towards creating a happy team that ultimately performs better.
Leading a team remotely
As the working world changes, managers are now faced with the challenge of motivating a team of remote workers. The UK’s Office for National Statistics reveals that 49.2% of the workforce have traded in their daily commute and are now working from home due to social distancing measures. With no clear timeline as to when workforces will return to the office, or if the working model will ever return to what it was before the outbreak of Covid-19, strong leadership skills are more essential to an organisation than ever before.
In order to promote teamwork, leaders must utilise online collaboration tools such as Trello, Slack and Google Documents. Online tools can also help keep employees on track with their goals and managers should use them to reassure their team that career develop remains a priority. Alongside this, leadership pay attention to how remote working is affecting the members of their team and those regular one-on-one sessions are a great way to uncover difficulties and simply to check-in.
Make your next career move with ICON
At ICON, we think that creating a happy, well-performing team is the cornerstone of leadership. As Sinek said, leadership is a choice- and one that we take extremely seriously, alongside our commitment to creating a culture within our organisation that fosters learning at every opportunity. Thinking of joining the ICON family? Browse our clinical research jobs here or search through our wider job categories to find the opportunity that’s right for you.
Interested in learning more about what we do? Find out why should work for us why culture is so important at ICON.
Sign up for post alerts
ICON & You
The potential of together.
Careers that improve the lives of patients, our clients and each other. Are you ready to make a difference?
View jobsRelated jobs at ICON
Salary
Location
Ireland, Dublin
Department
Full Service - Corporate Support
Location
Dublin
Remote Working
Office Based
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Accounting & Finance
Job Type
Permanent
Description
We are currently seeking a Manager, Financial Business Partnering to join our diverse and dynamic team. As the Manager of Financial Business Partnering at ICON, you will play a pivotal role in providi
Reference
JR130331
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Damien KehirAuthor
Damien KehirSalary
Location
India, Chennai
Department
Full Service - Corporate Support
Location
Chennai
Remote Working
Office Based
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Accounting & Finance
Job Type
Permanent
Description
At ICON, it’s our people that set us apart. Our diverse teams enable us to become a better partner to our customers and help us to fulfil our mission to advance and improve patients’ lives. Our ‘Own I
Reference
JR130296
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Puja JaiswalAuthor
Puja JaiswalSalary
Location
Bulgaria, Sofia
Department
Full Service - Corporate Support
Location
Sofia
Remote Working
Office Based
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Human Resources
Quality Assurance
Job Type
Permanent
Description
We are currently seeking a Senior HR Transformation Analyst to join our diverse and dynamic team. As a Senior HR Transformation Analyst at ICON, you will be pivotal in driving HR transformation initia
Reference
JR132974
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Maya KatsarskaAuthor
Maya KatsarskaSalary
Location
India, Chennai
Department
Full Service - Corporate Support
Location
Chennai
Remote Working
Office Based
Business Area
ICON Full Service & Corporate Support
Job Categories
Human Resources
Job Type
Permanent
Description
About the position:This is an exciting opportunity to work within a fast paced, busy environment for a leading global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology a
Reference
JR132439
Expiry date
01/01/0001
Author
Moushami RoyAuthor
Moushami RoyRelated stories

Teaser label
Inside ICONContent type
BlogsPublish date
08/01/2025
Summary
Clinical Research Nursing: A Vital Career at ICON Clinical research nursing is a specialised discipline that blends expert patient care with the science of clinical trials. Nurses in this role ar
.png)
Teaser label
Inside ICONContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/28/2025
Summary
CTMS: The Essential Tool for Clinical Research Professionals Clinical trials have rapidly evolved, accelerated by technology and digital innovation. Central to this evolution is the Clinical Tria
.png)
Teaser label
IndustryContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/21/2025
Summary
What is Real World Evidence? Understanding its Role in Clinical Research Real World Evidence (RWE) is a term increasingly being used within the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, shaping cr
Recently viewed jobs
Impactful work. Meaningful careers. Quality rewards.
At ICON, our employees are our greatest strength. That’s why we are committed to empowering you to live your best life, both inside and outside of work. Whether your ambition is lead a global team, become a deep scientific or technical expert, work in-house with our customers or gain experience in a variety of different ICON functions, we will support you in realising your full potential. See all locations Learn more about Our Culture at ICON