Responsible leadership as a driver of resilience in urban health and sanitation projects in Uganda

Purpose This study aims to examine how responsible leadership practices enhance the resilience of health and sanitation projects in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 21 project managers, and health officers drawn from governmental, nongovernmental organizations and donor-supported projects. Thematic analysis, aided by NVivo software, was used to identify patterns linking responsible leadership dimensions to project resilience. Findings The results reveal that ethical decision-making fosters trust and fairness, strengthening a project’s ability to absorb shocks; accountability and transparency enhance adaptability through learning and coordinated action; and sustainability orientation promotes redundancy and long-term continuity. Together, these practices create a reinforcing cycle of resilience that enables projects to maintain service delivery during disruptions. Practical implications The study underscores the need to integrate responsible leadership principles into project governance frameworks and leadership development programs. Emphasizing ethics, transparency and sustainability can improve stakeholder trust, donor confidence and institutional continuity in Uganda’s public health and sanitation sector. Originality/value This study provides context-specific empirical insights from Uganda on how responsible leadership influences the resilience of health and sanitation projects. It contributes new evidence from a low-resource African context, demonstrating that ethical, transparent and sustainability-oriented leadership behaviors are critical drivers of adaptability, continuity and long-term project performance. The study broadens the understanding of leadership and resilience beyond corporate and Western settings, offering fresh insights relevant to public sector governance and development practice in emerging economies.