31/08/2026
What do you do when there is no single right answer, people do not agree on the purpose, and the consequences of today’s decisions may only become visible much later?
These were some of the questions explored during a guest session with Dr Yeuk Fan Ng as part of the Critical Perspectives on Leadership module delivered at SIM in partnership with the University of Birmingham last week.
Drawing on his extensive experience in public health and health-system transformation, Dr Ng invited students to think beyond leadership styles and toolkits. He highlighted the importance of context, different perspectives, judgement and the ability to work with uncertainty.
A particularly valuable part of the discussion focused on facilitation: knowing when to create space for different views, tensions and disagreements, and when there is enough shared understanding for a group to move forward. Dr Ng also reflected on the challenge of holding different time horizons at once - responding to what is urgent today while remaining attentive to the longer-term consequences of decisions.
Students brought questions about AI, the future of entry-level work, disagreement and purpose. Dr Ng encouraged them to keep developing judgement, seek feedback, question their assumptions, understand the limits of what they know, and strengthen the human capabilities needed to work well with increasingly powerful technologies.
His closing reflections on love and justice as principles for leadership gave the class a particularly thought-provoking way to end the conversation.
Thank you, Dr Yeuk Fan Ng, for sharing your experience so generously and for engaging so openly with our students.
