This publication strives to stimulate a conversation on how UN leadership could be enhanced to ensure its relevance and strengthen its impact at a time when both the UN and multilateralism are being tested.
Leadership, like art, is a fluid and lived experience, making it hard to define.
Yet, efforts to understand leadership and to diagnose, even perhaps remedy, what some refer to as the lack, or the end or even the death of leadership in today’s world have only intensified over the past few years. The issue seems to be on everyone’s mind. No sphere of human activity and no institution escape the interrogation, and perhaps nowhere else more than at the United Nations.
Few would dispute that better leadership is essential for ensuring trust in the UN and in multilateralism, and for delivering more effective responses to today’s global challenges. Indeed, despite significant achievements since the organisation’s creation, public debate tends to focus on what is not delivered instead of what has been achieved. But both the source of the doubt and the answer lie with the UN – its leadership culture and in leadership manifested by its professionals. Poor leadership explains, to some extent, why the UN at times under-delivers on its promise, and why people lose faith in the organisation.
This publication frames the bigger picture of UN leadership and presents experiences and ideas that speak to both its reality and potential. Written with passion and sincerity, the contributions within it convey a degree of awareness, knowledge and inspiration that we hope will contribute to further strengthening the promise and the practice of UN leadership.
Foreword
Henrik Hammargren
Introduction
Framing leadership in the context of the United Nations
The price of compromise: Principled leadership at the United Nations
Craig Mokhiber
Leadership not by title
An interview with Kanni Wignaraja
The burning priority for UN leadership?
Ben Majekodunmi
Authentic and relatable UN leadership
An interview with Fathiaa Abdalla
Compassionate leadership
Rima Salah
Leadership and identity
Marc Jacquand
The role of lawyers: Leadership for a UN civil servant
Larry D. Johnson
A UN culture of integrity
An interview with Karin Landgren
A transformational leader
Andrew Russell
In praise of ‘influencing’ from offstage
Richard Bailey
Power, leadership and responsibility for the Other
Marc Jacquand
The heart of a leader: Lessons from a mother
Ahmed Abdillahi Hashi
Demonstrating UN leadership: Positioning the UN in the midst of a revolt
Charles Petrie
Leadership with empathy
Raja Karthikeya Gundu
A story of inspirational UN leadership
Karen Daduryan
‘Blue Grit’: Determination, courage and principled behaviour in the UN
Ulf T. Kristoffersson
Who would you want to work for?
Stephanie Koury
The United Nations – A unique ecosystem for leadership and innovation
Alain Sibenaler
Building coalitions for change: UN leadership on the ground
Alexandre Marc
Feminist leadership – An inspiration for all
An interview with Bela Kapur
Leadership on the frontlines of conflict:
The UNHCR team approach in Afghanistan
Maya Ameratunga
Democratising innovation and leadership at the UN
Ruth Blackshaw and Klas Moldéus
The need for a fundamental shift in who we see as leaders
Irem Tumer
Testing limits, pushing boundaries and giving space to young people:
An interview with Catherine Sozi
Vendela Romedahl Stjernkvist and Savvy Brar
The United Nations System Leadership Framework – Where are we now?
Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Who leads the UN? What UN demographics can reveal about leadership
Veronika Tywuschik-Sohlström
Acronyms and abbreviations