Anne Wojcicki

Situational Background

Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s co-founder and CEO, leads with transparency, scientific curiosity, and patient empathy. She seeks to empower individuals with understandable information while navigating ethics and privacy. Wojcicki communicates plainly, invites scrutiny, and adjusts as evidence evolves. Distinctive for compassion married to rigour, she shows how openness, science-led thinking, and respect for autonomy fit any mission-driven organisation.

Practical Leadership Principles

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1) Empower through transparency.

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Clarity turns anxiety into agency.

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Behaviours to model:

• Use plain-language summaries for complex topics.
• Offer clear choices and consent paths.
• Share limits and uncertainties upfront.

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2) Science-led candour.

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Let evidence guide pace and claims.

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Behaviours to model:

• Pre-declare success criteria.
• Publish methods and assumptions.
• Correct course publicly when data shifts.

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3) Empathy and dignity.

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Design for real lives, not abstractions.

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Behaviours to model:

• Listen to personal stories before metrics.
• Protect privacy by default.
• Provide support when outcomes are sensitive.

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Call to action

Rewrite one complex message for clarity, state your evidence threshold, and offer a real choice that respects people’s dignity.

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