Dr Raffael Himmelsbach and I discuss his unorthodox path from a political science PhD at the University of Lausanne into science policy and research-adjacent leadership roles across multiple countries, including work with the Center for Digital Life Norway and co-directing a Vienna Ludwig Boltzmann Research Group on wound healing. He describes moving away from a publication-driven track toward designing programs, coordinating networks, and working with people, and reflects on the discomfort and courage required in ambiguous roles where goals and success criteria can be unclear. Drawing on large-scale, multi-institution collaborations, he discusses stakeholder management, the risks of equating success with spending and visible activity, and the importance of creating safety and “attractiveness” for collaboration. He shares practical tools such as participatory lab manuals, structured check-ins, and “parking lot” rituals, and reflects on leadership beyond positional authority, the tension between expert and leader identities, and the value of coaching and self-leadership as he now transitions to leadership coaching and organisation development consulting.
00:29 Introducing Raffael
03:38 From Political Science to Science Policy and Responsibility
10:03 Finding his Happy Place in a Research Adjacent Role
17:53 Becoming more Professional, Accepting Being Uncomfortable
22:03 Coordinating Multidisciplinary Multisite Projects
28:14 Key Learning About Courage
32:10 Knowing your Stakeholders, Defining Success Beyond Activity
35:18 Bootstrapping Collaboration Through Safety and Attractiveness
41:23 Lab Manual As Social Contract
44:14 Participation and Shared Responsibility
46:28 Leadership Without Command Control
50:50 Rituals That Make People Seen
53:39 Leader Identity vs Expert Identity
59:01 Drawing on Experience to Help Others
01:01:27 Third Space Roles and Future Academia
Related Links:
Raffael Himmesbach Consulting and LinkedIn profile
Raffael's report on The Centre for Digital Life Norway at Nine Years: Insights from the Legacy Workshop
Ludwig Boltzmann Research Group Senescence and Healing of Wounds
Raffael Himmelsbach, We need to talk about leadership transitions in science, LinkedIn blog post Jan 2026.
Richard Van Noorden, Some hard numbers on science’s leadership problems, Nature 557, 294-296 (2018) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05143-8
