Miriam Mutebi, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:
”Leadership is stewardship:
I was recently profiled in the June issue of CancerWorld reflecting on cancer care, health systems, and leadership in Africa.
The conversation left me thinking about how my understanding of leadership has evolved over the years.
Earlier in my career, I associated leadership with achievement, visibility, and responsibility.
Today, I think about it differently.
I think about stewardship.
The privilege of helping build systems that will outlast us. The responsibility to create opportunities for others. The importance of strengthening institutions, not simply advancing individual careers.
In cancer care, meaningful change is often the cumulative result of countless small actions: mentoring a trainee, strengthening a multidisciplinary team, improving a care pathway, supporting a colleague, or helping a patient navigate an overwhelming system.
None of these moments may seem transformational on their own.
Yet, over time, they create the conditions for lasting change.
One piece of advice shared by a mentor has stayed with me:
‘It is not our job to finish. But it is our job to start.’
Perhaps that is what stewardship ultimately means: leaving behind stronger people, stronger systems, and stronger institutions than the ones we inherited.
I am grateful to the many patients, colleagues, mentors, and collaborators who continue to shape my thinking and teach me what leadership really looks like.”
Other Articles Featuring Miriam Mutebi On OncoDaily.