You are responsible for 27 specialized biomedical research institutes and centers. How do you keep track of all that’s going on, from the promising developments to problems that might cause you heartburn?
I have an open door. I encourage people to come in and talk to me if they’ve got something they need to share. I try to keep the channels of communication with the 27 institute and center directors wide open. We meet almost every Thursday morning for two hours. The agenda is carefully chosen not only to identify what is going well, but the difficult problems. I think those relationships really matter — those personal relationships where there’s a lot of trust between all of us that we all are here to try to do the right thing. We may not always agree on how to get there, but everybody’s opinion deserves respect.
How do you take criticism?
I am not the kind of leader who wants just to hear happy talk. I want to hear what isn’t going well. I will never shoot the messenger, and I welcome people who will tell me in a planning meeting, “Hey, Dr. Collins, what you’re suggesting isn’t going to work and it might even do harm, and here’s why.” I try to surround myself with people who are incredibly bright and who are empowered to speak the truth about anything we’re doing, things that we’re forgetting and things that we might be proposing that are going to turn out badly. So that atmosphere is basically part of the DNA of this organization.
Have you experienced any unique challenges managing scientists, researchers and physicians?
We are a scientific organization, so most of the major decisions are based upon science. I think the good news is that means everybody agrees there’s a common currency of how you make a case for your position, and that is based on the best science and of course, some intuition thrown in. Scientists are not necessarily known for being wallflowers or having small egos, and that could be applied to me as well. People really believe in the power of science to solve problems, and if they think they have a solution to a problem and they’re convinced it’s the right way, they’re going to defend it rather strongly and passionately. That’s okay. I like that.
This post was originally featured on The Washington Post’s website.