Here is a useful article exploring the skills gap in STEM leadership, again finding that scientific training under-prepares students in important areas around communication, collaboration, adaptability and intercultural skills.
Specifically, the most important leadership skills the article recommends STEM students develop are:
- Communication: Active listening, clarity, empathy, feedback
- Collaboration: Teamwork, awareness of different viewpoints
- Critical thinking: Evaluating information objectively, reasoning strategically
- Cultural awareness: Appreciating diverse perspectives
- Innovation: Questioning status quo, making connections, experimenting
- Self-directed learning: Taking initiative, setting development goals
These skills are often overlooked in educational settings, where the focus is often on developing technical skills. Often, it falls to workplace learning and development teams to fill this gap and ensure the quality leadership so vital to excellence in STEM.