If you work in Regulatory or Clinical within a pharma or biotech company, you are probably a member or a leader of a cross-functional product team. The idea of assembling cross-functional teams to address the various disciplines and detailed aspects of drug development really came into being in the early 1990s. Today, cross-functional teams are the foundation of most drug development organizations. Yet, leading a team of experts from very different backgrounds can be extremely challenging. Tight timelines and missed deadlines usually add pressure to this scenario.

When you look at some of the greatest innovators in history, you can definitely see some commonalities that are relevant in the workplace today. If you look at someone like Ben Franklin, you see a man with such diverse interests that one can only imagine that it was pretty hard to keep up with him. He started as a printer (and became really good at it) but had interests far beyond his trade. His print background led to the production of Poor Richard’s Almanac but this same guy also invented swim fins and discovered electricity!

Because of the slow economy, decreasing budgets and leaner teams, many companies are refocusing on operational aspects of their business and trying to figure out how to be more productive. We are all trying top do more with less. In some ways, the economy has given innovation a big, motivating kick in the pants. Organizations are looking inward to spot resource drains and inefficiencies. Management teams are ready and willing to “work differently”, mostly because there really isn’t a choice. So how do you become more productive as an organization?

I have always admired/envied those who find that special situation where they can excel at something meaningful while simultaneously enjoying the journey. It seems to me that the most content people take time for creative reflection and don’t make any excuses. Years ago, I attended a creative thinking workshop where the instructor suggested taking a few minutes every day to day dream. Interesting idea, rather difficult to implement when you have a meeting packed schedule. Plus, most people get a little uneasy if the boss catches them staring blankly out the window.

When you look across your career you may be able to name several managers or mentors who taught you well and helped you to grow. You may remember a particular act of kindness or a more general feeling of support and encouragement. I have been fortunate enough to have some really great managers who allowed me to travel my own road to professional development while steering me away from the potholes.

In our fast-paced, high-tech world, active listening is becoming a dying art. We present to rooms filled with crackberry toting audiences. Our face-to-face meetings are being interrupted or replaced with texts, tweets and emails. And our multi-tasking culture is leaving us with little opportunity to truly focus on conversations, their nuances and any underlying messages.

There is a distinct difference between a good manager and a good leader. Leaders are able to persuade, negotiate, confront and initiate change while bringing the rest of the team along for the ride. Managers often find challenges in these activities. Often, it is a simple function of experience. Many managers struggle with leadership activities because they have never been given the opportunity to lead in a meaningful way. That’s where situational leadership can really help. If a team member shows promise and is sincerely engaged, he/she deserves the opportunity to grow into a new role.

In a rapidly growing organization it is usually pretty hard to pay attention to the development needs of your team. Yet if you want to continue to grow quickly, that is exactly what you have to do. I am not talking about training on PowerPoint or your time tracking system. I am talking about developing a community of leaders – easily said, not so easy to do.

I am constantly amazed at the power and efficiency of the grapevine. It is not managed by anyone, it doesn’t require a budget and it doesn’t utilize any IT support. Yet, it is one of the most powerful tools an organization has when it comes to communicating new ideas, especially those that help to cultivate a culture. How often do hallway conversations, coffee breaks and water cooler discussions serve as the main mechanism for information flow throughout an organization? It is the most basic form of social networking and is probably the most efficient and proven of all channels.

OK, here is where I am going to show my age. I actually think certain information and certain discussions should be held either in person or over the phone instead of texting or emailing. I am a big proponent of in-person interactions. I think it is hard to develop real relationships, particularly with customers, if you only ever communicate via email.

I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about the links between innovation and leadership and how one impacts the other. I have also recently been in some really good discussions about knowledge sharing, communication and collaboration. All of these topics are relevant to managers in general but I see them being particularly relevant to the life sciences arena, especially in such a competitive environment.