The Head of the Open University's Laboratory Facilities, Julia Barkans, has won an international award in ‘Excellence in Lab Leadership’.
Julia is responsible for the lab infrastructure, managing the budget to run and maintain it, overseeing the all-important Health & Safety and managing 63 technical staff.
On the win and what makes a good leader, Julia said: “I was absolutely delighted. I am so honoured to have been nominated for this award by my team.
“A good leader should lead by example. They should be enthusiastic, have integrity, empathy and always be inclusive. They should review process, however, not make changes for the sake of change. They will seek advice from the team and admit if they get something wrong. They will notice talent and nurture it. They will continually motivate and have pride in the team they have developed or are in the process of developing.
“In adopting this practice, a good leader can direct, guide, and influence the behaviours they expect in others.”
Julia and the other award winners will be honoured during the 2022 Leadership Summit in Baltimore, US, on 16th–18th May, where they will accept their awards in front of a community of their peers.
