Conclusions

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From the course by University of Geneva

International Organizations Management

18 ratings

University of Geneva

International Organizations Management

18 ratings

This course provides an introduction to International Organizations and the United Nations, and explores how business and management tools can be applied in these settings to achieve better, more effective results. With a focus on cross-sector partnerships in a changing world, the course offers you insights into the inner workings of international organizations and the challenges they face today. It will introduce you to effective, state-of-the art management tools and principles to help you lead change in this world – taught by senior staff of international organizations themselves. This is an introductory course offered by the International Organizations MBA (IO-MBA) of the University of Geneva, an executive program for change-makers in international organizations, NGOs and social ventures.

From the lesson

Leadership in the UN System

Now that you have a better understanding of the UN system, its shifting context, challenges and opportunities, we move on to explore the concept and practice of leadership in the UN. In this module, we will outline a conceptual framework and key literature on UN leadership. We explore different styles of leadership and examples of the practice of leadership by successive Secretaries General. We analyze several instruments of leadership – leadership through the power of convening, setting goals, marshalling evidence, and what we refer to as visionary leadership. We conclude by examining prospects for future UN leadership and multilateralism in a changing world.

The UN's role in norms and global public goods7:36

Conclusions 4:33

Meet the Instructors

Gilbert Probst
Professor, Organization and Management
Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences
Sebastian Buckup
Visiting professor
International Organizations MBA
Bruce Jenks
Visiting professor
International Organizations MBA
Stephan Mergenthaler
Visiting professor
International Organizations MBA
Cassandra Quintanilla
Teaching and research assistant
International Organizations MBA
Lea Stadtler
Research Fellow
Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences
Claudia Gonzalez Romo
Visiting professor
International Organizations MBA
Julian Fleet
Visiting professor
International Organizations MBA
Tina Ambos
Academic Director of the International Organizations MBA
Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences

[MUSIC]

So a couple of final conclusions to share with you on each of these segments.

And I'd like to try and capture that just really

with a couple of quotes or a couple of sentences that tries to bring it together.

And with regard to the first segment when we were trying to

capture what we meant by leadership in the UN.

I really come think of a better way of getting

into the subject than mark moles wonderful definition.

Which is the public sector manager, I repeat is an explore a commission by

society to create value.

I can't think of a better way to express it.

And for me, the creation of that value is intricately,

intimately linked to this concept of creating space.

Space where you can bring the parties together and add value.

With respect to the UN, the UN's own

understanding of what it means to be a leader,

I think that I would go back to you, I would come back to you with another

quote from Dag Hammershall that I'd like to read out to you.

It's not so much a quote but it's say, a reference to a question and answer.

And the question that was put to him, and this was in the context of the Congo and

it relates to the Oxford speech which I mentioned to you.

The question is, is it possible for the secretary general to resolve

controversial questions on a truly international basis?

Without obtaining the formal decision of the organs of the UN?

A really fundamental basic core question.

What is the space that the secondary general thinks that he has?

And different secretary generals will give you different answers.

But [INAUDIBLE] was, I think superb as usual in the way he said it.

He said yes ,yes it is possible for

the Secretary-General to do that, but he said, with appropriate consultations.

It's so simple, it's so basic, but it's also so

true, because yes there is a power of initiative.

Yes it's possible to exercise leadership.

But you have to do the consultation.

You have to make sure that you can align with the other circles,

with the authorizing environment, and with the capacity.

And if you can do that, you can expand the area of the mission and

the values as [INAUDIBLE] himself demonstrated.

And then finally, in this segment today we've looked up

the instruments of leadership.

What are the instruments you have at your disposal?

And to repeat again, to me the story should be very encouraging to you.

Yes, I've picked out the good examples, but the story is still a story

of being able to

move forward by

carefully calibrating and using different instruments to create value.

You don't have to depend on the great visionary

who's going to lead everything forward.

It's wonderful to have that dream.

But actually, there's a craftsmanship,

there is a very day to day piece of work that needs to be done every

to bring these parties together and to develop the instruments,

to give rise to the space that can create that public value.

And I think that's a challenge that everybody can think about, and

hopefully some can engage with it.

Thank you, and I hope that you have found this whole course,

of which this was the last segment.

I hope that you've been able to benefit from it and

that you take something away from it.

[MUSIC]

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