Power, Dignity, and Crisis Leadership with Rebecca Vander Meulen

‘’Even in a non-profit context, issues of sharing power and mutual respect and dignity are essential and not universal.” - Rebecca Vander Meulen

What does it take to lead with courage, clarity, and compassion when the systems around you collapse—almost overnight? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I speak with Rebecca Vander Meulen, Executive Director of the J.C. Flowers Foundation. Rebecca has spent over two decades working in global health, faith-based development, and cross-sector collaboration—from launching HIV and malaria programmes in rural Mozambique to running initiatives for people returning home after incarceration in New York City. Her leadership blends humility, deep empathy, and strategic thinking in some of the world’s most complex and under-resourced environments.

You'll hear us discuss:

• Why waiting for full clarity before communicating is a luxury leaders can’t afford in crisis—and how honest, imperfect communication builds more trust than silence.
• How the sudden dismantling of USAID funding has devastated public health systems globally, and why leaders like Rebecca are having to reimagine their strategies on the ground with little information and no time.
• The importance of recognising how power—whether in a community, a boardroom, or a rural health clinic—operates subtly, and how sharing it must be an intentional, ongoing process.
• What it means to lead with purpose when your work is directly tied to life and death, and how personal connection—not metrics or strategies—often becomes the true driver of lasting impact.
• How Rebecca’s years in remote Mozambique taught her not only how to mobilise local expertise but also how to navigate and build trust in completely different systems, including the private equity world in Manhattan.
• Why the best social impact work isn’t born out of obligation or abstract logic, but out of deep personal passion—and how to find your own way into the work that truly matters to you.

Resources

Rebecca Vander Meulen on LinkedIn | J.C.Flowers Foundation

Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn | On the Web | Substack | Email - winnie@winnifred.org