b'Building a Leadership StyleNot only did working as chair of the molecular marker working group help make achievements in the seed industry, but Nelson says that experience, along with learning from different managers and leaders in his life, helped shape his own leadership style.For eight years, I was a breeder, Nelson says. I was fortunate to have outstanding research assistants reporting to me, so I was able to focus most of time doing my own work. It was less about leadership, and more about doing my part to run the program.But four years ago, Nelson says he took a big step out of his usual comfort zone. I made the step out of the field, and into a more managerial role, Nelson says. There was a team of data scientists without a breeding background or breeding training that had excellent analytical, com-putational and statistical skills. But they needed some domain knowledge and expertise from a breeder also who understood data. Thats where I stepped in.Within a few years Nelson was managing a team of 18 scientists. That was a lot of work, Nelson says. I couldnt have asked for a better team. They are some of the brightest scientists Ive ever worked with, but there was always a lot going on, technically, in strategy and in people development.What has he enjoyed most about leading?Ive been able to stick close to the exciting work done by the scientists, but Ive also been involved in driving strategy and communicating the results were getting, Nelson says. I really love being able to inter-act close to the action.When it comes to a leadership style, Nelson says hes had the ability to see wonderful, encouraging I first started working on maize and soybean projects with his appoint- managers in action, which influenced his own style. As ment in 2015 as leader of the ASTA molecular marker working group,a result, his leadership style comes down to two words: says Stephen Smith, a lecturer at Iowa State University. This workingpartnership and empathy.group contributed cross-company research and publications that wereI see myself as a partner with my team members, coordinated by Paul and directed toward achieving the more efficient andNelson says. Its not me dictating, commanding or quicker release to farmers of improved maize hybrids and soybean varie- instructingtheyre the modeling experts. Of course, ties with intellectual property protection. I didnt know the technical details of everything that Though Nelson had some initial hesitation about joining the workingtheyre doing. Its a partnership, where were co-owners group, he says it was exciting to get together for a common goal.of success and failure.Our goal was to try and get the international community to be moreNelson wants his team members to be as eager and accepting of molecular marker technology, particularly in PVP (plantexcited to go to work as he was. variety protection), Nelson says. There had been a lot of resistance in theI try to understand how the team is feeling, he plant IP communityprimarily from international government regulatorssays. Ive had team members who will say yes to any-and PVP offices. thing, and then they take on way too much workload, During his five years as chair, Smith says Nelson traveled to numerousor a project that theyre not passionate about. Thats international meetings to present the latest findings of the team. Due towhere I step in and ask: Hey, how interested are you in Nelsons teamwork and leadership, Smith says the working group began tothis project? Are you excited about it?achieve positive change in the process of obtaining PVP for new cultivars.If they arent excited about it, sometimes the We were actually able to make a lot of great progress, and we antici- results show, Nelson says. Instead, Id rather them pate that the U.S. PVP office will soon accept marker evidence, which is aget excited about their projects, because thats when direct result of our work, Nelson says.theyre going to drive for the best results.SWSEPTEMBER 2021SEEDWORLD.COM /19'