Inspiration Over Desperation: Accurant Biotech CEO Talks Leadership, Innovation, and Motivation

Strong leadership in biotechnology requires a balance of inspiration, discipline, and the ability to foster innovation within structured processes. Xiao-Yan Cai, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Accurant Biotech, guides her team with a straightforward yet motivational approach, as evidenced in the following interview with Pharmaceutical Technology®. She discusses her leadership style, strategies for maintaining employee engagement, and how personal passions—such as competitive ballroom dancing and Taekwondo—inform her professional mindset. Cai also highlights the necessity of repetition in mastering any skill, whether in the lab or on the dance floor, reinforcing the idea that persistence fuels innovation.

PharmTech: Can you tell us more about your leadership style and how you motivate your team?

Cai (Accurant Biotech): You can see my style when I'm leading the team. I often tell people I [have] a more principled thinking style … it's a bit binary; it's ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ it's ‘this’ or ‘that.’ If you think in such a manner, it would be straightforward. You can get to the root cause. So, this is why I'm a very good troubleshooter, because you don't want to complicate your situation. You can further dive it down into the final, only binary situation.

PharmTech: What strategies do you use to help your employees develop and excel in their roles?

Cai (Accurant Biotech): I believe leading has two styles ... One, I call “inspiration style.” [The other] is called “desperation style.” Desperation style is whipping, forcing, threatening you—'you do this, otherwise you won't get paid’—this sort of connotation. I clearly prefer to do inspirational; I would lead by example, by showing you that you want this. It's you. It's really you. You want to have a career. You want to be better tomorrow than today ... I don't focus on, ‘So, what is he doing? So how come he's not doing anything? How come he's getting promoted?’ None of that. I'm focusing on my own improvement, my own progress ... I coach my employees in such a manner, inspirational. That's how I believe everyone should. If you can even temporarily focus on this, it will become very exciting when you go to work, in terms of mundaneness.

PharmTech: Let’s talk about mundaneness—how do you encourage your team to find excitement and innovation in repetitive work?

Cai (Accurant Biotech): [Earlier in my career I] moved from the Schering-Plough discovery zone to the development zone. There is also a common understanding, [a] perception, that discovery is slightly superior than development. It was your truth in the company. So, I went backwards one more time. Employees even asked me, with your credentials and your resume, why are you coming here? My question back to them: So, you think I am so excitingly doing these discovery things because I was a cloner? I cloned genes? Most people think, ‘Oh my God, that's so awesome.’ I said, what do you think the rocket scientist is doing every day? [A] rocket scientist is so exciting, so amazing. Oh my God, that's like the elite, top scientist perceived, right? So, what do you think they do every day? You also have a field of study, and then each day, you can innovate all you want, but there has to be a mundaneness to the component. I can say this because cloning was also perceived back in the day as a ‘holy cow’-ish skill. What do you think I'm [doing] cloning a gene? What am I doing every day? ... What do you think we're doing every day? In order for anyone to be superb at what they do, there has to be repetitiveness. You wouldn't be good without that piece. [But] that doesn't stop you from innovating.

PharmTech: What role do your personal interests and activities play in your professional life?

Cai (Accurant Biotech): I always [tell people], oh, I started when I was a toddler—not true. I was not a genius. I'm pretty smart, but ... I never jumped a grade. I'm a normal person. Graduated the same age as everyone else. Never stayed behind either, so I was just on par. But I know I look young, and, because I'm very fit, I treat everything in my life this way. I'm a competitive ballroom dancer. I rank in national competition in my age group. I'm going to the final second-degree black belt Taekwondo. I treat everything I touch with passion, with energy, with positive thinking. With this understanding [of] the repetitiveness. Because what does not need repetitiveness. Ballroom dancing, are you kidding me? It's repetitive. You need to train your muscles to remember this, how to move, everything has repetitiveness, but everything has innovation as well, so that's how I feel. If everybody would do this way, your life would be a happier life. You come to work happy every day.

PharmTech: How do you personally stay informed and engaged with the latest industry developments, even in the face of challenges?

Cai (Accurant Biotech): [During the COVID-19 pandemic] I traveled to China, quarantined, high-risk, 14 plus seven plus seven [days of isolation] in order for me to go to Beijing to see my mom. I've done that. Most people think it's impossible. I think you set your mind, understand where you're going into. Prepare. I'm very prepared. I brought my yoga mats, jump ropes, juggling balls. I'm just crazy. I like to play. I brought sunflower seeds because it's one of my snacks. And so, you prepare. In the hotel room, you have a wi-fi. I can work, no complaint. They provide food, the breakfast and lunch and dinner. Great, I got my food, I'm not starving today. I walked in my room every day, achieved my goal of 10,000 steps every day.

Click here for more from Cai’s interview with Pharmaceutical Technology® following AAPS PharmSci 360 in October 2024.