At Duke Leadership Academy, Vice Provost Shares Lessons on the Groundwork of Leadership

Manoj Mohanan shares lessons on trust, relationships and managing people with emerging leaders in the Duke Leadership Academy

A man speaks to a group.
Manoj Mohanan, the the Creed C. Black Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs, speaks to the members of the Duke Leadership Academy. Photo by Stephen Schramm.

Years ago, while interviewing for a leadership role, Manoj Mohanan was asked what leaders could do to gain trust of team members while managing a crisis.

The question stayed with him. And earlier this month, during a lunchtime Q&A with participants in the Duke Leadership Academy, Mohanan explained why experience had taught him that the premise of the question wasn’t quite right.

“During peace time you do everything you can to build a deep well of trust and confidence,” said Mohanan, Duke’s Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs and the Creed C. Black Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy. “But when crisis hits, you have no time to keep building that. It’s something you are going to be drawing upon. You just hope and pray that the crisis passes before you’ve completely depleted it.”

Members of the 16th Duke Leadership Academy class gathered to hear stories from Manoj Mohanan's leadership journey. Photo by Stephen Schramm.

Mohanan spent roughly an hour sharing lessons from his leadership career with members of the Duke Leadership Academy, a yearlong professional development program organized by Duke Learning & Organization Development (L&OD), a unit in Duke Human Resources.

Designed for emerging leaders from across Duke, the Duke Leadership Academy features individual assessments, coaching and team-based exercises exploring real-world issues. It also provides scholars the opportunity to hear from Duke’s senior leaders, such as Mohanan, in relaxed settings.

Mohanan was the third senior leader to take part in what program organizers describe as “fireside chats.” Other leaders that have spoken to the group are Duke Associate Vice President for Finance and University Controller Barbara Hough and Duke University Health System Chief Financial Officer Lisa Goodlett. Duke University President Vincent E. Price also spoke with the group at the program’s kickoff event.

“We want our scholars to engage directly with senior leaders and hear candid reflections on the experiences that have shaped their leadership journeys,” said Keisha Williams, Assistant Vice President for L&OD. “Duke is fortunate to have leaders who are willing to share, not only their successes, but also the challenges that have tested and transformed them. Their openness and vulnerability create a powerful space for emerging leaders to learn, reflect and grow.” Before coming to Duke in 2010, Mohanan completed a medical degree from the University of Mumbai in India and later earned two master’s degrees in public health and a Ph.D. in health policy from Harvard.

Duke Leadership Academy scholar Joshua Pontsler asks a question during the group's conversation with Duke University Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs Manoj Mohanan. Photo by Stephen Schramm.

At Duke, Mohanan embraced leadership opportunities, serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the Academic Council and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research at the Sanford School. And in 2024, he became Interim Dean of the Sanford School, where, during a two-year stint in the role, he oversaw faculty governance reforms and led the school’s strategy and implementation during Duke’s strategic realignment.

In his conversation with the 24 scholars of the 16th class of Duke Leadership Academy, Mohanan shared leadership insights and answered questions. He talked about how leadership can sometimes complicate relationships with colleagues and what he’s learned from moments that did not go as he hoped.

He also discussed management approaches that unlock the creativity and confidence of team members and how surrounding yourself with the right people is essential to doing great work.

“It’s great that we’re doing this,” Mohanan said after his session about leadership development programs such as the Duke Leadership Academy. “Higher ed, in general, needs more programs like this.”

The nomination period for the next edition of the Duke Leadership Academy will begin Oct. 19 and close Nov. 6.

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