Five Things That Changed My Perspective in 2020

We tend to learn and grow the most when we’re forced to live, work, and interact in radically different ways—when we are thrust out of our comfort zones. As a global community, we are coping with the devastation and disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic wrought across the world this year, and I’m confident we will emerge with stronger global and local public health systems, increased investment in technology, and a renewed commitment to science.   

I’ve been reflecting on what this year has meant for the world and for me personally, and there are five frame shifts that struck me. 

Becoming an everyday dad 

My family is the most important part of my life. But before the pandemic, with a hectic travel schedule, I was generally only around for the occasional dinner and the weekends. After 8 months now of being home every day with my wife and boys, I have been reminded how much joy and energy I get from them. From my wife Srishti, I learn from the range of her perspectives across so many disciplines, her resilience to guide our family through these times, her remarkably diverse book lists, and her world-class podcast list. From my boys, I am (re)learning how to laugh and be silly, how to teach, and how to help them grow. We’ve discovered shows to watch together (we love The Mandalorian), new traditions (morning coffee making with my son), and simple pleasures like playing basketball or board games. It’s not always easy to spend all our free time together, but overall it’s been remarkable and has brought us even closer together.  

When the pandemic subsides, I’ll be rebalancing my schedule to ensure I spend more time where it matters most. 

Witnessing an RNA revolution 

This year we’ve been reminded that science-based progress rises to the occasion when humanity is most in need. We’ve witnessed firsthand why science and medicine continue to be central pillars of our society, enabling us to find new diagnostics, treatments, and vaccine candidates for a brand new virus that rapidly spread across the world. 

When the field of medicine began, early medicines were actually chemicals that we accidentally realized could modulate proteins. Then we learned to design the chemicals to target the protein. Then about 40 years ago, we discovered we could administer proteins to either replace proteins (like insulin) or bind targets in the body (monoclonal antibodies). For decades, we hoped we could move further upstream and use RNA to help the body make proteins or modulate proteins, and we failed often in harnessing the power of RNA.  

This year that dream became reality, and those decades of failures progressed the science to success at a time when humanity desperately needs it. We have approved RNA vaccines that will hopefully end this pandemic. There are RNA therapeutics that could help us tackle rare diseases and common ones (like high cholesterol). Now and in the future, I hope we can all rise up to defend the power of science and ensure that future generations benefit from important advances in the field of medicine.  

Participating in a massive global collaboration 

The challenges we collectively faced in 2020 called for a new kind of leadership and collaboration—in the health care industry, across the broader scientific community, and between companies, governments, academia, and nonprofits. This year I co-chaired with Bill Gates a consortium of life sciences companies that came together with the Gates Foundation to respond to COVID-19 on a global scale, and we worked together in unprecedented ways. We shared scientific information, we widened access to our molecular compound libraries, we pooled manufacturing and lab research capacity, we collectively committed to the equitable distribution of any forthcoming diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, and much more. Ultimately, we came together with a sense of urgency to pursue our common purpose—to advance biological science and improve human health.  

I believe that the collaboration the pandemic spurred will not only open up new areas of collaboration that will live on, but that it will also be looked back on as one of the many great success stories of the COVID-19 response.  

Taking our company virtual

If you told me a year ago that in 2020 we’d take Novartis virtual, moving more than 80,000 global associates to virtual working models in a matter of weeks without drastically disrupting our operations, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But in the face of COVID-19, our dedicated teams pulled it off and worked tirelessly to ensure our people could continue the work of reimagining medicine. This kind of shift or response during the pandemic was important for any company, but it was especially important for companies like ours. Around 800 million patients around the world rely on our medicines every year, and I’m proud of the ways our teams innovated and overcame challenges to ensure we could deliver patients the treatments they needed. 

Our company evolution also illuminated the power of a people-first, unbossed organization. We decided to give our people the choice to decide where and when they work and supported them with a range of programs, and our people responded with record-high engagement. While we’re still learning together as a company as we work in new ways (and of course looking forward to reconnecting in person), our virtual transition has proven how agile and adaptable our organization is.  

Embracing new daily practices 

As I adjusted to working virtually this year, I also had to adjust to the newfound isolation. Going to work no longer meant walking through a crowded campus and saying hello to associates, stopping at desks to speak with colleagues, or gathering in large auditoriums. My morning commute turned into a walk down the hallway to my son’s bedroom, which ended up being the most convenient working space for me to use during the day. While I was fortunate to have my family around me at home, like many others I spent hours at a time alone in a room with a computer.  

I quickly realized I needed to find new ways to manage my energy and prioritize my wellbeing in this different, more isolated routine. Mindfulness became even more important for me, and I prioritized my daily practice. I stole away for distanced walking meetings with members of my leadership team, which was a safe way for us to interact in person. I also started doing yoga, which has been rewarding but also humbling as I try and often fail to do all the poses! But I enjoy the practice of it. I started a daily gratitude practice, beginning each day answering questions like: What am I grateful for? What will make today great? And even, who am I, and what is my purpose? 

Altogether, the increased alone time reminded me that wellbeing is a practice that takes intention and real effort. We all have the power to adapt our routines, prioritize our mental health, support our friends and colleagues, and hopefully find moments in our days to connect with others or take a break. I promise that email can wait a few minutes. 

On a global scale and in our own lives, 2020 has been defined by moments we couldn’t have anticipated—but it’s also been defined by the ways humanity collectively responded to the devastation and uncertainty. It’s been defined by the ways compassionate human beings stood up for rigorous science, followed public health measures to protect our loved ones and neighbors, supported courageous healthcare workers and researchers on the frontlines, and so much more.  

The powerful and uniting belief behind actions like that is optimism that a healthier future is within our reach. And while I’m confident the pandemic will remain with us into next year, I’m also confident we’ll get through this together.

Be well, and I’ll see you in 2021!