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