The global development sector presents some unique challenges for organizations and their team leads, who are often tasked with overseeing multicultural and multiskilled teams, working across different time zones and sometimes under very challenging circumstances. Strong leadership skills are essential to hiring the right people, integrating staff working remotely, and building impactful and sustainable teams.
Increasingly, there are conversations around rethinking approaches to leadership in the sector. The United Nations, for example, has launched a new leadership competencies framework with a greater focus on systems thinking and cross-functional collaboration, explained Nina Segal, co-founder of Kite, a global consulting firm specialized in supporting leadership in the humanitarian and development space.
Across the sector, there is also more emphasis on how leaders can optimize their teams, maximize efficiency, and work in a more integrated way, Segal added when she joined Devex to discuss how development organizations can better nurture leadership skills.
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About the author
Emma Smith
For four years, Emma Smith covered careers and recruitment, among other topics, for Devex. She now freelances for Devex and has a special interest in mental health, immigration, and sexual and reproductive health. She holds a degree in journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University and a master’s in media and international conflict.
