Habit, Not Hack: Nurturing Strengths and Accepting Weaknesses (PI Edition)
Great mentors don’t just assign tasks, they develop people.
When Jane became PI of her own lab, she vowed to be the kind of mentor she wished she’d had: attentive, supportive, and honest.
Her first trainee, Andrew, was a promising PhD student who could troubleshoot protocols like a pro but visibly shrank in front of an audience. During early lab meetings, Andrew would rattle off updates in a rushed monotone, avoiding eye contact. At first, Jane thought, “Maybe Andrew just needs more practice.”
But practice wasn’t the issue, feedback was.
Andrew had never been told he had strength in experimental strategy. No one had pointed out that his ideas were sharp, only that his slides were “dry.”
So Jane changed her habit.
She began her feedback sessions by highlighting one clear strength Andrew had shown that week. Then she asked open-ended questions, not just “How can you improve your talk?” but “What part of your work do you feel most confident in? What’s one area you’d rather collaborate on than lead?”
That shift changed everything.
Andrew started leading experimental designs for two other projects. For presentations, he co-developed a habit of “soft rehearsals” with another student, building quiet confidence without public pressure.
By year three, Andrew had mentored a rotation student through a successful cloning project and presented a poster at a national conference, still not flashy, but calm, clear, and proud.
The Habit: Be Human First, Scientist Second
1. See the person, not just the project.
Instead of just asking “Is the data ready?”, ask “Where do you think you’re strongest right now? What part of this do you feel unsure about?” It signals that you care about their growth, not just deliverables.
2. Normalize uneven strengths.
Your trainee might be brilliant at model design but slow at writing. That’s not a flaw to “fix”, it’s a clue for how to structure team roles, deadlines, and stretch goals. Growth comes from alignment, not uniformity.
3. Use strength as a bridge to coach weaknesses.
“I’ve noticed your gel interpretation is always solid. Want to co-lead next week’s troubleshooting session?” This not only builds confidence, it makes weakness feel safe to explore.
For PIs and Research Advisors:
Mentorship isn’t about cloning yourself. It’s about calibrating challenges and support based on who’s in front of you.
Notice, name, and nurture strengths. Accept, scaffold, and normalize weaknesses. That’s how great science and great scientists are built.
That’s not a hack. That’s a habit.
✨ Want to take this habit even further?
Check out the GradLab Compass Individual Development Plan, a printable tool designed to help researchers and students reflect, recognize their strengths and growth areas, and take purposeful action, one intentional step at a time.
