We’ve all encountered a version of the adage that “change is easy—it’s resistance to change that’s hard.” There is no question that we are in a time of unprecedented change in health research. Funding policies, processes, and priorities continue to shift. Stability of longstanding grant-funded research programs, and even the trajectory of newly awarded multi-year projects, are in flux. And artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing health care delivery and how we study it, surfacing questions about what counts as evidence. Navigating this challenging terrain is a particular concern for those in leadership positions. Indeed, for most people trained in a traditional academic model, there is a gap in developing leadership, strategy, and management skills. Thus, a professional development session at AcademyHealth’s 2026 Annual Research Meeting (ARM) explored this topic. Acknowledging that threats to science, massive shifts in research funding streams, and incredible growth in artificial intelligence have created tremendous uncertainty, our panel explored approaches to leading teams while navigating this instability, offering practical leadership strategies and change-management tactics.
An overarching theme and take-away from the panel discussion was that leadership is a skill that entails consistent and dedicated practice, in the same way that we work to hone our methodologic fluency or communication abilities. Devoting one’s efforts to understanding teams and optimizing team functioning is an essential leadership skill but not one that is innate or typically taught in health services research training programs. Most leaders in academic or other research settings learn through apprenticeship or short-term leadership development programs. Done well, these can be meaningful experiences. Yet, positive impact on teams only happens when a leader practices learned skills. Like any other domain, the practice of leadership involves trying new techniques, sometimes failing, learning, and trying again.
A related facet is the ability to discern how and when a strategic pivot is necessary. Many of us have experienced disruption related to funding losses in some areas of research (such as identifying and overcoming disparities in health and health care), resulting in difficult conversations about how a team can remain viable and productive. In the face of such disruption, a leader must center their team on the contributions it can continue to make to the field and, in some cases, reorient its focus to new areas, capitalizing on core skills that are broadly applicable.
Panelists noted that leading with empathy is paramount. Validating the range of reactions from anger to anxiety ensures that team members feel seen and heard, which is an important coping mechanism in and of itself. Clear communication and transparency are related hallmarks of skillful leadership and are key to building and retaining the trust of your team, especially in times of crisis.
The panel’s formal presentations concluded with a proposed typology -- five distinct buckets of pervasive leadership challenges -- and described attributes that can help attenuate negative effects of each:
- Novelty: the task of building a project or program completely from scratch, where there is no blueprint, and teams are navigating interpersonal, political, and financial dimensions simultaneously.
- Intensity: a first cousin to novelty – the challenge of growing something fast, with competing visions and high stakes, requiring leaders to align disparate stakeholders around a common purpose under pressure.
- Catastrophe is the hardest to prepare for: a devastating event that leaves a team in shock, grief, or paralysis. Leaders must hold space for pain—a skill rarely taught or tested.
- Inertia: as a leadership challenge shows up as being utterly stuck—when status quo feels safer than change. Leading through it means understanding the roots of resistance and gently coaxing new ideas forward.
- Instability strikes when the ground shifts—funding cuts, restructuring, or leadership turnover. Leaders must acknowledge uncertainty while encouraging both analytical and creative responses to help teams find their footing and promote a sense of agency.
In the ARM panel session, we enumerated more than a dozen qualities that reflective leaders can bring to bear as any of these significant challenges arise. Among them, qualities like curiosity (how might we…?), humility (I’m not sure…), vulnerability (I feel… ), adaptability (what if we…?), hope (what is our “why”…?), and perseverance (let’s keep going…) rose to the top as we deliberated about how to move forward in unclear or difficult moments. Leadership challenges typically don’t announce themselves, so diligent preparation and practice are steps to help meet the moment when it comes to your organization or team.
Anyone who has ever led a team knows that leadership can be exhausting, overwhelming, and gratifying by turns. But if you are thinking about running for the exits or throwing your laptop out the window, consider whether some of these attributes and tactics can fit into your leadership toolkit. Giving ourselves space and grace in turbulent times will promote resilience and is its own act of self-care. Or as one of the session attendees aptly observed, “put your own oxygen mask on before helping others.”