AWIS Career Center

Leadership

Develop the skills to lead with confidence.

Top AWIS Resources to Develop Leadership Skills

Leadership isn’t limited to a job title—it’s about inspiring others, making informed decisions, and creating a positive impact. Whether you’re leading a team, mentoring colleagues, or preparing for your next leadership opportunity, developing your leadership skills can help you grow professionally and achieve your career goals.

We have gathered our top leadership resources below to support you.

AWIS Members:

We hope these member-exclusive resources help you grow as a confident and effective leader. If you have feedback, suggestions, or need assistance accessing your member benefits, email us at awis@awis.org.

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Non-members:

Grow your leadership potential with AWIS. Join to access exclusive leadership resources, professional development webinars, career guidance, and a supportive community dedicated to helping you succeed. Questions about membership? Contact awis@awis.org.

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Check out these webinars in our on-demand library:

Simple Coaching Skills for Managers (June 8, 2022) Shift your mindset from managing to coaching, from telling to asking questions, with the outcome of enhancing behavioral change and improving performance of individuals and teams. In this in workshop, coaching is defined and then contrasted with mentoring and consulting with two experienced coaches providing demonstrations for clarity.

How to Delegate Effectively (Without Losing Control) (December 12, 2023)
It’s no secret that today’s leaders are being asked to do more with less. Delegation is no longer just a “nice to have.” In this presentation, your leaders will discover how to manage their minds and communication to deliver results and operate as a high-performing and happy team.
Elevate Performance: Tips for Giving (and Receiving) Feedback
(September 25, 2025) Join leadership coach Christine Galano for a session on transforming feedback from a source of discomfort into a tool for growth. Learn how to give feedback that’s clear, respectful, and effective—and how to receive it with confidence. Christine shares two practical feedback models to help you reduce errors, strengthen collaboration, and build a healthier, more open culture within your lab or STEM team.

Read these articles from the Nucleus:

  • 8 Key Characteristics of Extraordinary STEM Women Leaders (June 20, 2024) Susan Morris, MEd, CPCC, ACC, uncovers some common traits of extraordinary women leaders.

  • Four Essential Leadership Skills for Scientists (November 18, 2021) Enhancing these four essential skills is critical for your success as a scientist and for the success of your team. Further developing these skills can open you up to opportunities that were not accessible before and will support your journey as a leader.

  • Leadership Is Action, Not Position (December 12, 2025) Leadership, at its core, has little to do with titles and everything to do with action, influence, and the ability to inspire progress in others and oneself. 

  • Leading from the Front (November 7, 2025) As a leader, Weather Flight Commander Grace Kimzey has realized that sometimes the most important leadership lessons are those you must unlearn.

  • Jumping into Leadership (March 8, 2024) How do leadership roles in university organizations and professional societies benefit your career? Natalie Chernets, PhD, has used her experiences to make an impact and gain valuable skills

  • Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others (November 22, 2024) Has the time come for us to rethink the characteristics of a good leader? According to Stephen M.R. Covey, author of Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, it has.

Other tips:

  • Volunteer or take on new projects to develop (and demonstrate) leadership skills.
  • Connect with other AWIS members in the online community.
  • Draft and share LinkedIn posts that highlight strategic thinking or other leadership qualities.