Beyond Power; Leadership , Global Influence and Impact

A scholarship opens a door. A supportive family and community help a girl walk through it. Through Merck Foundation’s Educating Linda programme, I believe our responsibility extends beyond providing scholarships. We must also help change how families and communities see the potential of their daughters. The Pygmalion effect offers an important lesson: expectations can influence […]

To be trusted, you must learn not to trust blindly. As a leader, when you rely on someone’s promise, the consequences extend beyond you. Your team may build a plan around it. Your partners may make commitments based on yours. Communities may depend on what you have promised. If that promise fails, saying “I trusted

Why lasting change begins with the realities people face every day. Human rights are universal. Every person deserves dignity, safety, opportunity and access to care. But if we want those rights to become a reality, we must understand the conditions in which people live. A programme designed for one society cannot simply be copied into

You can copy a successful initiative’s strategy, processes, objectives, contacts and data. You may even work with members of the same team. But can you copy the passion that made people persevere when the results were still years away? In my work at Merck Foundation, I have seen how much it takes to build specialist

Why leaders must know when to be humble, when to stand tall, and when to protect the value of what they have built I believe in humility. No matter how much we achieve, there is always more to learn. There will always be people who know something we do not know, experiences we have not

People often ask me: “What is the secret behind your influence and relationships across so many countries?” My answer surprises them. I never viewed relationships as a strategy. I genuinely care about my partners, their accomplishments, and the people they serve. I celebrate their successes.I support their priorities.I respect their cultures.I remain available long after

Leadership Beyond the Obvious: Why I Believe Human Capacity Building Is One of the Most Sustainable Ways to Transform Cancer Care in Africa Throughout my years leading Merck Foundation across Africa, I have become convinced of one fundamental principle: You cannot build a sustainable healthcare system without building its people first. Hospitals are important. Equipment

In my leadership articles, I often write about the different layers that have shaped the way I lead: going beyond what is expected, looking beneath the surface of a problem, continuously fine-tuning, and understanding that sustainable change rarely comes from one intervention alone. Perhaps one of the strongest examples of this philosophy is my journey

When Continuous Improvement Is Misunderstood, Misused, or Weaponized I have often said that excellence is a moving target. But I have spent the last few days reflecting on how differently people can interpret what I meant. So I decided to write this article to explain more clearly what this principle means to me—and, equally importantly, what

After many years of leading partnerships across more than 50 countries and working closely with First Ladies, Ministers, healthcare leaders, and development partners, I often reflected on a simple question: What creates sustainable influence? Many leadership models focus on authority, position, or power. My experience has taught me something different. I have found that lasting