Leadership, decision-making & working with others
1 | What Is Leadership?
Leadership is often confused with hierarchy. In reality it is a verb: the deliberate behaviours that mobilise people and resources toward a meaningful goal – with them, not merely through them.
“The ultimate test of leadership is this:
Do the people around me grow because of my influence?”
– Max De Pree
Our cohort organised and facilitated a Leadership Roundtable session, where our esteemed panellists shared their career journeys, experiences, and reflections on why they do what they do:
- Dr Manuela Runge — Infectious-disease modeller, MM Global Health Consulting
- Dr Stephanie van Wyk — Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Town
- Dr Julian Heng — Program Manager, Global Disease Modelling, The Kids Research Institute Australia
- Tolu Okitika — former Senior Program Manager, Malaria Atlas Project
The panellists agreed on three universal dimensions:
- Impact – the tangible and felt outcomes of your actions.
- Reflection – a habit of examining motives, strengths and blind-spots.
- Context – the ability to adapt style to culture, task and power dynamics.
Watch the recording from this session (30 June 2025): Google Drive.
✨ Reflection: “My Invisible Impact”
- Write down one moment this week where your mood affected somebody else’s energy – positively or negatively.
- What signal did you send without words? How could you shift that signal next time?
2 | Leadership Styles & Skills & Self-Reflection
No single style fits every problem. It is hard to teach leadership - it has to be very intentional and self-reflective. Below is a quick cheat-sheet we used about different leadership theories:
✨ Reflection: “Stretch-Shift-Sustain”
Pick one behaviour you want to:
- Stretch – new territory that scares/excites you
- Shift – something to dial down because it no longer serves the team
- Sustain – a signature strength to keep polishing
3 | Leadership in Malaria – African Lens
Who shapes the research questions, controls the money, and tells the malaria story? A recent commentary ( A world free of malaria: It is time for Africa to actively champion …) challenges African scientists to step forward as agenda setters.
Funding patterns show stark asymmetry – a few countries attract most investment while others remain data shadows.
Why local leadership matters — When international funding stalls or shifts, frontline programmes feel the shock first: stock-outs of ACTs, delayed IRS campaigns, frozen field salaries. That is exactly when locally driven modelling and priority-setting become critical.
A new Lancet study by MAP demonstrates this point: the team investigated the impact of no-PMI scenario on malaria burden and deaths in Africa. They found "PMI investment in supporting procurement and distribution of malaria control commodities would directly translate into millions of malaria cases averted and approximately 100 000 lives saved across its focus geographies in Africa throughout 2025."
✨ Reflection: “Power Map”
Sketch a simple map of your project’s power landscape: donors, ministries, local communities, universities. Where can African voices take the driver’s seat, and what support (data, mentoring, funding flexibility) is needed?
4 | Decision-Making Scenario – From Maps → Policy
Imagine the National Malaria Control Programme just received a grant to:
- Distribute x million ITNs,
- Deploy community health workers (CHWs),
- Target high-burden underserved areas.
Teams received eight raster layers (PfPR, incidence, ITN use/access, travel time, etc.). Below are two example stacks; notice how the answer changes if you weight incidence versus access:
The description of two activities:
❓ Quick quiz (click to answer)
Q1. Why might a Minister prefer incidence over PfPR?
Show answer
Incidence (cases/1 000/year) reflects health-system burden and budget impact this year. PfPR is transmission potential – better for medium-term strategy.
Q2. What map combo highlights behaviour barriers?
Show answer
Compare ITN use with ITN access. High access + low use → behaviour change focus.
✨ Reflection: “Translate the Uncertainty”
Pick one raster. How would you explain its 95 % confidence layer to a policymaker who distrusts “fuzzy science”? Draft one sentence that balances honesty with clarity.
5 | Working with Others & Conflict Management
Great leaders create psychological safety. We staged hidden scenarios (bullying, cliques, harassment) and debriefed ally actions.
Tools We Practised
✨ Reflection: “Say It in SBI”
Think of a recent irritation (lateness, poor comms). Draft a 3-line SBI statement you could actually say next time.
6 | Key Take-Aways
- Leadership = behaviour × context × reflection.
- Maps persuade only when uncertainty is translated into decisions.
- Inclusivity is proactive: correct micro-dismissals in the moment.
- Use structured feedback (SBI or DESC) to talk about tough stuff early.
✨ Personal Commitment
Complete the sentence and share with your project team:
“This week I will practise leadership by … ”
Recommended Resources
- Theory of Change Tools
- Diffusion of Innovation:
- Writing Guides:
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Design Tools:
- Lucidchart for flowcharts
- BioRender for scientific illustrations
- Marq for flyers and posters