I have been very lucky in that I think I have always worked with great people, on a scientiific and personal level. But many PhD students have horror stories of bad management from their PIs. Is there an easy fix?
It’s often commented that the role of a PI is essentially management but the path to that position doesn’t select in favour of management skills. In fact, lone wolf behaviour in science has been glorified, but it makes for poor evidence that you can lead the pack. Perhaps if we required prospective PIs to submit reference letters from former supverisees, you know, summer students and undergraduates and the like, we could add a bit of positive selection for those skills into the mix? I can see other added benefits as well. It would make the power balance with your juniors in the lab less stark: you may both need a good reference from the other, so you cannot mistreat each other. It would also incentise taking on trainees when you are the PhD and postdoc level. Currently there isn’t really a reward for the supervisor in taking a summer student; they just spill stuff. Certainly that was me anyway.
It’s hardly a panacea. But institutes and Universities could do with tiralling it as a requirement I think. At the time of writing at least, I haven’t heard of this being done.