Thomas Zeltner delivers inaugural Sciana Lecture

Sciana senior ambassador delivers talk to members of the 2018 and 2019 Sciana cohorts

Sciana Members were asked to consider the role of leaders in health and wellbeing during the inaugural Sciana Lecture.

Thomas Zeltner, one of Sciana’s senior ambassadors, delivered the prestigious talk at Salzburg Global Seminar earlier this month.

The former secretary of health of Switzerland spoke to the 2018 and 2019 Sciana cohorts on the future of health and leadership.

At the beginning of the lecture, Sciana Members were introduced to the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid,” a variation of the phrase James Carville coined as a campaign strategist of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.

Zelter, deputy chair of the University Council of the Medical University of Vienna, proposed editing Carville’s phrase further to, “It’s the future, stupid.” He said, “Leading means shaping the future… We are paid to create the future.”

Members heard leaders can’t predict the future, but they are mandated to create it. “Most of the time we know what is the reality, but we don’t know where should we actually go,” Zeltner quipped.

Watch Zeltner’s talk in full below.