The Need for Connection

By nature, large organizations have multiple layers and hierarchies. As companies grow, more employees are hired for their subject-matter expertise rather than their cross-functional capabilities. Subject matter experts generally focus on their strengths and can complete specialized tasks or projects efficiently. When teams need specialized expertise and there is enough work to justify a full-time role it’s an effective way to get work done. However, this manner of growth can create silos, leading to challenges in cross-functional communication.

Lack of cross-functional collaboration can lead to isolation if a company doesn’t have strong channels for communication and integration in place. Effective cross-functional collaboration requires intentional leadership, and without it, inefficiencies arise due to poor communication, redundant work, misaligned priorities, and even animosity. Frustration can stem from a lack of clarity in decision-making, or poor communication around decisions that have already been made.

Large organizations may also struggle with different teams adopting different tools. For example, I worked at a company with six different project management applications - each new functional leader simply continued using the tools they were familiar with, and no-one addressed the inefficiency until it was already done. Other challenges include geographical dispersion (or even not being co-located within the same building), and competing priorities and incentives.

The Connector Role

While smaller organizations may struggle with limited resources and may not yet be able to justify full-time hires in each function, hiring a generalist who understands the big picture, bridge functions, and connects people on different teams should be seen as an opportunity.

Generalists are uniquely suited to bridge gaps between teams, ideas, and even industries. Their familiarity with multiple domains allows them to understand the language and priorities of different teams, helping them act as translators between experts in diverse areas and break down organizational silos. The best combination is a generalist who excels at navigating complexity across functions and disciplines while proactively connecting teams, ensuring the right relationships and information flow drive collective success. A connector generalist is uniquely equipped to tackle complex organizational challenges by synthesizing diverse perspectives and fostering strategic alignment.

Strong connector qualities are often seen in administrative assistants. Admins stay attuned to team dynamics, gaining an understanding of each group's priorities. They anticipate cross-functional needs, ensuring discussions lead to alignment rather than siloed decision-making. They manage logistics, ensure efficient communication flow, and may proactively connect team members who wouldn't otherwise interact. Admins know a meal will always be appreciated by busy teams, but there’s more to it than just convenience. Providing meals for teams engaged in long meetings creates informal opportunities for connection, supports productivity, and prevents hungry team members from becoming irritable. Asking about dietary restrictions (and better yet, remembering them for next time) demonstrates awareness, inclusivity, and proactive engagement, fostering connection and making people feel valued.

Strategic HR professionals understand that employees thrive when they feel connected to their colleagues and leadership. They prioritize employee engagement, facilitate cross-functional collaboration, and strengthen organizational communication. A strong sense of connection among coworkers reduces turnover, improves retention and morale, and enhances organizational adaptability. Prioritizing internal connections helps to break down silos, bridge gaps between teams and foster a more integrated and collaborative work environment. It can also boost innovation, with fresh ideas emerging from unexpected collaborations.

Program managers (PMs) often embody the qualities of connectors. Overseeing multiple projects requires broad expertise across disciplines and leverages skills such as cross-functional leadership, strategic and operational balancing, adaptability, problem-solving and stakeholder management. A PM connects different functions and ensures alignment. Their ability to interact with leadership, technical teams and external partners requires strong communication and collaboration skills. Because they navigate complex, shifting landscapes, they must be flexible thinkers who can address challenges across different domains. To ensure programs align with organizational goals program managers must think big-picture, blend vision with execution, and strategically communicate to connect teams.

To make connectors effective, organizations need leadership buy-in and structural support. My experience has shown that having executive backing is essential when launching any new initiative. Change requires support, and the decision to put project or program managers in place as deliberate connectors within a company needs reinforcement - because dysfunctional teams often don’t realize they are dysfunctional. Executive support to strengthen their authority and influence is crucial to maximizing their impact and ensuring they have the resources, direction, and credibility to unify teams, resolve conflicts and sustain momentum across key initiatives. The best project or program managers will be natural connector leaders, bringing their authentic curiosity, adaptability, and empathy to a new team, facilitating relationship-building and communication.

Connector Leaders

While administrative professionals manage logistics and communication flow, program managers align teams around projects and focus on execution, and HR leaders drive talent management and workplace culture, connector leaders operate across multiple departments and levels to build informal and formal networks that enhance collaboration. A Connector Leader fosters cross-functional engagement and innovation, influences business strategy and proactively shapes organizational networks to improve connectivity. Connector leaders enable knowledge sharing, strategic alignment, and innovation by ensuring information moves fluidly across departments and actively seeking and bridging relationships to drive strategic outcomes. “Connectors take their foundational understanding of what drives and motivates each employee and use it to tailor the broader team environment — and set employees up to more intentionally share skills and boost each other’s performance within team interactions.” (Gartner, 2019).[i]

One could argue that the most successful biotech leaders evolve into connector generalists over the course of their careers, gaining high-level understanding across disciplines and learning to balance scientific understanding, operational strategy, business acumen and cross-functional connectivity. This skillset is particularly crucial in startups, where leaders must cover multiple roles within the organization. The Healthcare Technology Report’s Top 25 Biotechnology Executives of 2024[ii] illustrates this well, featuring executives with educational backgrounds in law, science (biochemistry is well represented), engineering, communications, pharmacy, economics, psychology and business administration, even including a US Air Force Captain. None of these accomplished executives solely focus on the field they studied in college – instead, they have developed skills in business, science, strategy and execution, blending their specialized knowledge with generalist thinking and connector behaviors.

Top Five Personality Traits of a Connector Leader

Empathy – Connectors deeply understand people’s perspectives, fostering trust and psychological safety.

Curious – They actively seek diverse viewpoints, exploring new ideas and ways to improve collaboration.

Adaptable – Connectors thrive in change, adjusting their approach based on shifting team dynamics and challenges.

Authentic – They build genuine relationships, valuing transparency and integrity in every interaction.

Optimistic – Connectors inspire confidence and possibility, helping teams stay motivated even in uncertain situations.

How Strong Connectors Improve Performance

A case study reported by Evalueserve presents a company where innovation was stifled due to challenges in forming strategic collaborations to support early-stage innovation[iii]. By deliberately establishing connections with relevant stakeholders, the company strengthened its collaboration strategies. Streamlining its approach enhanced focus and efficiency, increased agility and speed, and provided strategic insights and clarity.

Strategic connector leadership is being intentionally implemented by biotech venture capital firms that recognize the importance of building bridges and making deliberate connections. Flagship Pioneering actively builds and operates its own companies, integrating funding, mentorship and strategic partnerships, ensuring founders have access to a ready-built network of scientific and business leaders[iv]. Curie.Bio supports biotech founders through a connector-driven approach[v], offering strategic fundraising guidance, access to its extended network, and operational support through its shared services model. Through partnerships with CROs, they provide direct access to industry experts. Atlas Venture leverages the entire Atlas ecosystem to build companies, engaging in long-term partnerships, providing guidance, resources and capital at every stage from innovation to commercialization[vi].

MustardSeed reports that establishing a tailored project management office (PMO) helped a company struggling with lack of coordination across teams, inconsistent project management practices, and difficulty balancing resources and timelines in a fast-paced environment. The PMO implementation led to greater focus on core activities for scientists and engineers, improved resource management, and accelerated time to market[vii]. Since time to market is key to value creation, this investment proved invaluable. Just as importantly, reducing staff burnout by eliminating cross-functional duplication of effort contributed to cultural transformation and seamless execution. The case calls highlights the importance of adaptability, cross-departmental collaboration, and breaking down silos.

One excellent example of success through strategic connections is Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the biotech company that has dominated the cystic fibrosis (CF) market by prioritizing patient advocacy and engagement. By establishing relationships that gave them access to patients and funding, they strengthened their ability to optimize trial design, improve patient recruitment and retention, and ultimately accelerate regulatory approval. Breath from Salt[viii] (Trivedi, 2020) tells the powerful story of how patient advocacy shaped biotech innovation, highlighting the impact of collaboration with patient communities on clinical success.

Top Skills of a Connector Leader in Biotech

Scientific & Strategic Awareness – Connectors understand how teams across R&D, clinical, regulatory, and commercial functions, interconnect, ensuring alignment across the drug development pipeline.

Emotional Intelligence - They recognize the pressures faced by scientists, executives, and patient advocates, skillfully fostering a culture of understanding and shared purpose.

Cross-Functional Communication – They translate complex scientific and operational priorities into accessible language for diverse stakeholders, ensuring alignment across teams.

Strategic Influence & Alignment – Connector leaders secure buy-in from scientists, investors, and patient advocates, ensuring programs stay on track and maintain momentum.

Stakeholder Engagement & Trust Building – They cultivate strong relationships with external collaborators, including patient advocacy groups, regulatory agencies, investors, and industry partners, ensuring company initiatives are scientifically sound and widely supported.

Adaptive Problem-Solving – They navigate regulatory hurdles, funding challenges, and shifting priorities with agility, ensuring teams remain focused on innovation.

Operational & Executional Coordination – They ensure biotech programs meet milestones, minimize bottlenecks, and maintain scientific integrity, balancing speed with precision.

The Future of Work Requires Connectors

Regardless of industry, in today’s world, efficiency is critical. First - and best - to market is key to success; efficient execution is vital, and strong connections are crucial. Speed requires all stakeholders to be aligned - working towards the same goal, understanding the timeline and resources, and ideally feeling a sense of ownership. None of this happens without communication and connectedness.

When problems arise, the ability to rapidly assess the situation, reach out to a well-established network for help - whether internal, or external - and present realistic, actionable solutions can mean the difference between a minor setback and a completely de-railed project.

Even more valuable is the ability to anticipate challenges and proactively build the network you’ll need. By actively connecting with stakeholders ahead of time, you not only improve problem-solving but also foster long term resilience, adaptability and innovation – which are the true hallmarks of sustainable success.

References

[i]Gartner, 2019. How Connector Managers Create Star Performers. https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/how-connector-managers-create-star-performers 

[ii] The Healthcare Technology Report, 2024. The Top 25 Biotech Executives of 2024. https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/the-top-25-biotech-executives-of-2024/ 

[iii] Evalueserve. Driving Innovation: Strategic Collaboration with Top Innovation Ecosystems in Pharma and Biotech. https://iprd.evalueserve.com/case-study/driving-innovation-strategic-collaboration-with-top-innovation-ecosystems-in-pharma-and-biotech/ 

[iv] https://www.flagshippioneering.com/process 

[v] https://curie.bio/founder-guide-page/ 

[vi] https://atlasventure.com/discover/# 

[vii] MustardSeed. Establishing a Tailored PMO for a Biotech Pioneer. https://www.mustardseedpmo.com/resources/case-studies/mid-sized-biotech 

[viii] Trivedi, Bijal P., 2020. Breath from Salt. (Book)