Three things allowed Nigel Fisher to rise to the top of leadership in emergency response: his optimism, his sense of humor and his balance of authoritativeness and likability.
All three, coincidentally, have more to do with his innate personality than with his international relations education or the extensive experience he’s gained in crisis contexts with various United Nations agencies — though both helped propel his career to heights the likes of president and CEO of UNICEF Canada and head of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, as well as leadership stints in Afghanistan, Mozambique and Yemen, to name a few.
“Personalities drive success much more than organizations and institutions,” the former U.N. assistant secretary-general told Devex. “When there’s a problem, people think of the organization ... changing the structure … but that probably won’t fix it.”
About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers has worked as an Associate Editor and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Devex, with a particular focus on gender. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has reported from more than 20 countries.
