Today’s guest is Surya Bhatta, a global health leader and social entrepreneur based in Nepal. He is Co-CEO of One Heart Worldwide, a U.S.-based nonprofit, improving maternal and newborn health in remote, underserved communities. Surya holds a Public Health degree from Nepal, a Masters in Health Care Delivery and Science from Dartmouth College, and advanced training in Global Health Delivery from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He has partnered with international agencies and funders, including USAID, Grand Challenges Canada, the German Government, the European Union, and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Surya has also led major health responses to Nepal’s crises, including the 2015 and 2023 earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Raised in a rural Nepali village, Surya witnessed the realities of limited maternal care firsthand: he brings deep local knowledge, humility and a focused commitment to improving health outcomes for all. Let’s dive in … Key moments in the podcast: 00:00 Why Share Globally 00:36 Podcast Welcome 01:12 Meet Surya Bhatta 02:24 Kathmandu Check In 03:23 Family Life 05:25 Village Food Memories 07:03 How He Unwinds 08:45 One Heart Worldwide Mission 11:13 Growing Up Rural Nepal 15:53 Leaving Home For School 20:57 Finding Purpose In Public Health 23:04 Mothers Story Sparks Mission 26:12 Joining One Heart Worldwide 27:40 Systems Thinking Influences 28:22 From Challenge to Action 30:08 Building a Care System 32:06 Network of Safety Model 34:05 Studying Abroad for Leadership 38:57 Scholarship and Culture Shock 41:05 Skills Network and Confidence 43:34 Executive Director and Scaling 45:16 COVID Response and Co-CEO 48:26 Humility Driven Growth 53:41 Leadership Lessons and Farewell Here is what stays with us from this conversation: Leaders are not heroes. They are just ordinary people. True leadership shifts the focus away from the ego of the individual and redirects it toward the consistency of daily, collective impact. * Redefining the “Hero” Leader — Moving past the myth of the all-knowing, solitary leader. Authentic leadership values the power of a shared vision over individual accolade. * Impact Over Ego — Internalizing the reality that leadership isn’t about self-preservation or daily self-proof, but about the steady progress made on the ground. * Consistency Over Magic — Embracing a grounded, practical approach to solving leadership dilemmas through realistic, everyday actions rather than waiting for sweeping, magical fixes. We act as a catalyst—the community already holds the real power and resources. Humility in scaling means realizing your organization is not the entire ecosystem, but a supportive catalyst designed to strengthen it. * The Catalytic Leader — Positioning an organization to support, enhance, and empower existing local framework and government structures instead of attempting to build parallel, competitive empires. * Resisting the “Superficial Scale” Trap — Navigating the external pressures from funders and stakeholders pushing for rapid, exponential growth. Leading with humility means prioritizing depth and long-term sustainability over quick numbers that dilute quality. * Sustainable & Joint Work — Viewing scaling as a partnership of joint work, recognizing local leaders and systems as the primary drivers of permanent change. The community knows their problem best, better than anybody. Sustainable growth can only be achieved when solutions are driven entirely by the needs and expertise of the people on the ground. * Systems Thinking via Listening First — Approaching complex organizational or social problems by stepping back, checking assumptions at the door, and listening to the baseline environment before trying to intervene. * Co-Creation Over Implementation — Actively involving local stakeholders in programmatic solutions from day one, ensuring that the architecture of growth belongs to the community. * Navigating Identity Shifts — Embracing the discomfort of transitions and adapting organizational models dynamically as real-world feedback reveals what truly works versus what doesn’t. Key Takeaway Quote “I think life teaches you a lesson. You don’t have to prove yourself every day, but you can make an impact every day.” — Surya Bhatta About the Show Forks in the Road explores the everyday dilemmas in leadership, leaning into the idea that forks make you fitter. Through raw and candid conversations with global leaders, hosts Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland dissect the high-stakes decisions and identity shifts that define the modern leadership journey. Connect with Surya Bhatta This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X. Listen to this podcast on Substack, Spotify or Apple. We would love it if you would leave us a comment, screenshot the episode and tag us on social, and share this episode with your community so that they can better navigate their forks in the road. Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior. Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music. Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flyntrok.substack.com
