Ana Luísa Neves is the Director of the Global Digital Health Unit and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Digital Health at Imperial College London. She is also Associate Professor at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Visiting Scholar at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, an elected member of the Executive Board of the European General Practice Research Network, and Chair of the Working Party on eHealth at World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). She has more than 15 years of research experience, and over 80 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Ana completed the Global Health Care Leaders Program from Harvard Medical School Executive Education in 2023-24 and has shared her experience of the program.
How was your overall experience of the program?
In a conversation with colleagues, we wondered what the tangible outputs of joining the Global Healthcare Leaders Program would be. This is the most interesting part of the journey; it takes you to unexpected places, and sometimes, also opens unexpected doors.
I am so glad I decided to join it, as I leave not only with a broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities in global health, but most importantly, inspired by our faculty and by the amazing cohort with a passion to advance it.
What are your key takeaways from the program?
Inspired by Prof. John Glaser, I have been writing down my learnings every day. Below are my favourite thoughts:
- Open your eyes, listen to different voices, experiences, and cultures
- Different people have different roles in a team – as a leader, engage them accordingly and foster the development of their unique skillset
- Transformation forces need to be continuously monitored – keep your sensors on
- Transforming journeys need to be agile and responsive
- Manage uncertainty – and use it as an ally
- Share failure widely – create a safety environment around you. And learn fast from it
- Leadership is a mosaic of experiences, observations, and exposures – the aggregated effect of that ripple
- The most powerful word in the world is “we”
Was there anything that stood out to you during the program?
That would definitely be the second on-campus module of the program. What a treat! A full week reflecting on digital transformation in healthcare, and learning so much from my amazing network!