Seven leadership lessons we learned from Elhadj As Sy

Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation spoke in front of Cohorts 4 and 5 for the latest Sciana Lecture

An inspiring lecture on leading in difficult circumstances left Sciana Fellows much to contemplate during the latest in-person residential meetings.

In November, the Sciana Network was delighted to welcome Elhadj As Sy, chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as its next guest to deliver the Sciana Lecture.

The Sciana Lecture was introduced in May 2018 to highlight cutting-edge thinking relevant to the Sciana Network's goals. 

Elhadj is the seventh person to deliver a Sciana Lecture. Previous speakers include Pedro Conceição, Bruno Roche, Sir David Behan, Vytenis Andriukaitis, Maria Neria, and Thomas Zeltner. 

In addition to his role at the Kofi Annan Foundation, Elhadj is currently a Wellcome Trust governor and co-chair of the WHO/World Bank Global Pandemic Preparedness Monitoring Board. 

Speaking in front of Cohorts 4 and 5, Elhadj reflected on his career, which has seen him amass more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles in the humanitarian sector.

He has worked for UNICEF, UNAIDs, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Between 2014 and 2019, Eljadh served as the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 

Below are seven things we learned from the latest Sciana Lecture.

Leaders should respond to people's needs in crises, including those that are not immediately obvious

Humanitarians arrive quickly on the ground to provide healthcare for victims when there is a conflict, natural disaster, or pandemic outbreak. However, according to Elhadj, what is also needed is a focus on helping victims return to a level of normalcy. 

He said, "It is so volatile that overnight a doctor, a teacher, a father, [and] a mother become overnight not 'Mr/[Ms] So-and-So' anymore because they lost everything. They become the victim; they become the beneficiary; they become the displaced; they become the refugee."

How does leadership look like in such settings – to respond to people's needs and find solutions? Elhadj said, "We can write books about it. We can qualify it in many different ways. But if ultimately it doesn't solve the problem, if ultimately it doesn't bring results, if ultimately it does not respond to people's needs, then there is no meaning."

Leaders should focus on tackling issues before it is too late for those affected

Elhadj reflected on the principles of reaching the last mile, the last person, and leaving no one behind, principles and goals shared widely in the humanitarian sector in recent years. He said, "I have always been challenging ourselves to say, 'Well, if the problem is indeed in the last mile, the response... that should be the first mile of response. But often, unfortunately, it comes as an afterthought. 

"And if it comes as an afterthought, it's going to be too late for too many. And in the areas where we work, if those that are in greatest need and that are hardest reached are not addressed or talked to [or] engaged with, we find [ourselves] in situations of global fragilities and vulnerabilities that come to bear when we have big shocks."

Leaders should keep their promises and deliver on them

As shared earlier, leadership does not mean anything if it does not respond to people's needs, according to Elhadj. But this issue is irrelevant if, to begin with, leaders consistently make promises and break them. He said, "Too many promises made in the area of health and development, too many of them broken without accountability. And then the result of that today that we are seeing and experiencing everywhere is the lack of trust. Trust in institutions; trust in science; trust in evidence […]”

Elhadj said it was important for leaders to keep their promises and, if they cannot, to communicate this on time to manage expectations. He said, "We all know that life is changing, and the things that we work on are volatile. They are dynamic, and then they can also change. But let's change them on time."

Leaders should be prepared to operate under challenging circumstances and face tests regularly

Elhadj indicated leaders would find themselves on journeys where they do not necessarily know what the endpoint resembles. These journeys will include regular tests where leaders require certain attributes to handle them. He said, "We'll be tested on a daily basis; we'll be tested at different levels. And the question will always be, will we pass those tests?" 

Leaders' knowledge will constantly be tested, and they must equip themselves with a mindset and desire to learn continuously. "The day we stop learning, that is the day that we will start going backwards," said Elhadj. 

Realising that you don't know everything as a leader also requires "a great level of humility," according to Elhadj. He added, "A humility that will force us to question ourselves and question our certainties about many issues. Not to doubt, but to open ourselves to new knowledge, to open ourselves to new learning."

Another test concerns integrity and consistency. Elhadj said, "The most difficult thing and the most dangerous [thing] sometimes is to stand so firm for something and then behave the next day or in a different circumstance [and] do something different. That is deadly. You lose trust. You lose respect. You lose consideration."

Consistency and integrity are "underlined by truth." Leaders don't need to pretend they know everything, but they need to be humble enough to say, "I don't know," when they haven't got the information at hand.

Leaders can present different types of leadership in different situations

Elhadj suggested some people tend to imagine there are different types of leaders: an authoritarian leader, a democratic leader, or an empathetic leader. But they are wrong. He said, "No, there is nothing like those different types. Those are different situations. You will find yourself in a situation where you will have to be an authoritarian leader, where only control and command work […] It doesn't mean that you are the authoritarian leader, but in that setting, that is what is needed to be compassionate."

Leaders can be polite and firm at the same time

Those at the top of an organisation can find it a lonely space. Leaders will receive input from their colleagues, but often, decisions have to be made by them alone "in the loneliness of leadership." Elhadj said, "You have to be comfortable in loneliness, but you don't work alone at the same time. Does it sound contradictory? Maybe, but that is what you need to do."

When making decisions, leaders will find themselves in situations where they must remain firm, but that doesn't mean they have to behave negatively towards others. "When the time comes to deliver and then to be accountable and then bear the responsibility, a firm decision is required. But it does not have to be rude. We can be very firm but never be rude. Not at the same time."

To be heard, leaders do not need to shout. Some books on leadership suggest assertiveness is required, but this assertiveness sometimes borders on arrogance, according to Elhadj. He said leaders should remain vigilant so they never fall into this trap. 

Leaders should remember and acknowledge the work of leaders who came before them 

Fellows were reminded of the need to consider those who came before them in their roles and the legacy of the work they continue to build upon. Elhadj cited an example from his time as the global emergency coordinator for the Horn of Africa while working for UNICEF to demonstrate his point. 

Elhadj said he and his team were once faced with a situation in Somalia where Al-Shabaab called for all NGOs to leave. Senior management, Elhadj, and his team discussed whether to stay. Instead of leaving, Elhadj suggested first speaking with Al-Shabaab. During the following conversation, UNICEF was told they could stay because they had never left the people. 

Elhadj said he received congratulations from others, but it was the colleagues before him and the work they did that allowed them to continue operating in the area. He later added, "It's so difficult to build trust in the middle of a crisis. So, being there before, being there during, and most importantly, being there after is very important."

Watch Elhadj's Sciana Lecture below: