In honor of National Compassionate Leadership Week, Global Health Corps (GHC), in partnership with the TramutoPorter Foundation and Lwala Community Alliance, hosted a powerful virtual conversation exploring what it means to lead with compassion in global health. The gathering brought together leaders from across the sector to reflect and reimagine how empathy, humanity, and courage can transform health systems and communities.
The event featured a keynote from Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, an inspiring address from Donato Tramuto, co-chair of the TramutoPorter Foundation and co-author of The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results, and a dynamic panel discussion featuring TramutoPorter Foundation Board Member Natalie Alcantara, GHC Malawi Country Director Simon Simkoko, and GHC alumna and Co-founder and CEO of Lwala Community Alliance Ash Rogers.
Compassion as a Catalyst for Change
Kerry Kennedy’s keynote reminded participants that compassion is not merely a value, but an act of courage. Drawing on her decades of human rights work, and her experience watching her father champion civil rights, she emphasized that compassion requires both empathy and action, particularly in contexts where communities face structural inequities.
Donato Tramuto challenged attendees to think beyond hope to “defiant hope,” a steadfast commitment to human dignity even in the face of complexity. His words framed compassion as a strategic approach to leadership, rooted in connection and resilience, to drive organizational performance.
Learning From the Frontlines
The panel discussion, guided by Natalie Alcantara, surfaced concrete examples of compassionate leadership in action. Simon Simkoko shared lessons from Malawi, where GHC fellows and alumni have harnessed compassion to drive health equity, particularly in mental health advocacy and inclusive access to care. Highlights included a Mental Health Coalition convening shaping policy conversations and community-led projects such as building ramps for health facilities to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities, and the water project at Mtenthela Health Center’s maternity wing.
Ash Rogers spoke to how compassion fuels trust between leaders and communities. “We in the development space must see communities we serve as partners, not beneficiaries,” she reflected, a sentiment echoed across the conversation.
Panelists explored how compassion transforms challenges into opportunities. They pointed to the GHC network’s collective response to funding shifts this year: creating safe spaces for conversation, hosting virtual gatherings, and offering resources like the GHC Connect job board to support members.
Compassion in Practice
Panelists agreed that compassion is not a “soft” leadership trait, but a powerful tool for transformation. Leaders who lean into empathy amplify the strengths already present in their communities: networks of trust, shared traditions, and the energy of young leaders.
The discussion concluded with a challenge: for leaders facing urgent deadlines and constrained resources compassion is not a delay, it’s an accelerant. When teams feel seen and respected, they perform better and deliver more sustainable results.
GHC’s Commitment
As a network rooted in leadership development, GHC embraces compassionate leadership as core to its mission. From investing in young leaders to creating platforms for shared learning, GHC is cultivating a generation of leaders who center humanity in health systems transformation.
Simon Simkoko reflected on his own commitment: “Every interaction is an opportunity to leave people more capable and valued. Investing in young leaders today creates ripple effects for stronger, more resilient communities tomorrow.”
The event underscored that compassion is not optional. It is essential to building health systems that survive, adapt, and thrive.