The power of the expert: reflections on the value of being part of the Sciana Network

Sciana members from 2017 and 2018 reflect on the value of expertise and learning from others within their cohorts

The Sciana Network brings together outstanding leaders from across Europe – and every member is an expert in their field, whether that be policy, practice, technology or innovation. Sciana members have reflected on how valuable this expert knowledge and experience has been to them, both during the gatherings and afterwards, with them having a new network of experts to call upon.

Richard Lee, chief operating officer of St John Ambulance and a 2018 Sciana cohort member, reflecting on his experience, said, “One of things that came through from Sciana is the power of the expert. I see a huge part of leadership is being a good connector of people, and I’d always prided myself as being good at connecting people. But Sciana exposed us to international experts that we wouldn’t have met in our usual life.”

Daniel Liedtke, chief operating officer of the Hirslanden Private Hospital Group and a 2017 Sciana cohort member, also valued the experts that gathered. He said, “The advantage of the Sciana Network is that is brings people together and each of those people has a special role and is an expert.”

And the value of having experts around the same table extended further than the cohort gatherings. Sciana members have kept in touch with each other, and many ask each other for advice on particular issues – knowing that these people are experts who may have gone through the same challenges.

Tobias Gantner, founder of the HealthCare Futurists GmbH and a 2017 Sciana cohort member, said, “The people in Sciana are all dedicated to health care. We are all leading people in health care and have worked in it for a number of years. If I have a challenge or an idea, I know who to call in the Sciana Network. I can ask, ‘Have you tried this? How would you tackle this?’ This is what I like – it is different to calling someone cold. It’s a living network and it’s important to be engaged and engage yourself in it.

“It opens doors. If you have a great idea, you can bring that idea to other people. Regardless of where you are from and what your background is, we’re all working towards the same targets.”

Annabel Seebohm, secretary general of the Standing Committee of European Doctors, and a 2018 Sciana cohort member, agreed that having fellow experts to call on can open your eyes. She said, “Sciana gives you the opportunity to get to know other people with different ideas to the ones in your own bubble. You can test your own idea with these people, and it’s a wonderful experience to have your own opinions challenged.”

Some of the Sciana members from the first two cohorts provided their views on who would be best suited to becoming future Sciana members. Liedtke said, “It’s important to identify people who are able to enable change, and that some of these people are the top leaders in their country – a balance between the top leaders now and the potential leaders in the future.”

Lutz Hager, executive director at IKK Südwest and a 2018 cohort member, said, “I would recommend Sciana particularly to people who are on track to being a health care leader, or a leader in health care innovation. And in particular people from broader horizons, who may otherwise be under-represented.”

Gantner summed up how Sciana opens doors. He said, “It’s not just any other club, it’s not about collecting memberships. It’s about the opportunity to work with and learn from people from different walks of life, with different perspectives. You have to be open-minded and willing to go the extra mile, and to make a difference.”

Sciana: The Health Leaders Network is a new initiative bringing together outstanding leaders in health and health care policy and innovation across Europe. The Sciana network is supported by a partnership between The Health Foundation, Careum Stiftung, and the Robert Bosch Stiftung in collaboration with Salzburg Global Seminar.