Lederskab i nødhjælpsarbejde kræver conduite, evne til at beslutte hurtigt og ikke være bange for risici – men det er ikke “in” hos bureaukraterne
DAKAR, 9 June 2011 (IRIN): Understanding the bigger picture; taking decisions and risks on the basis of incomplete or contradictory (modsigende) information; possessing self-awareness, humility and enthusiasm.
These are just some of the qualities humanitarian workers see as being most important in a humanitarian leader, according to a 9 June report by ALNAP entitled “Leadership in Action: Leading effectively in humanitarian operations”.
While experience and competencies count, it is often “personal qualities” that differentiate decent and brilliant leaders, says the report: passion, dedication, putting communities’ needs at the centre of all decision-making; being aware of one’s own limitations; being quick to learn from mistakes; and, says Ross Mountain, former head of the UN in the DR Congo, “possessing enough self-assurance to risk being disliked”.
– But growing risk-aversion (frygt for at tage risici) in the humanitarian sector quashes individuals’ ability to exercise these characteristics, stifling (kvæle/modvirke) effective leadership, report author Margie Buchanan-Smith, told IRIN.
– The current drive to improve accountability – while an important aim – has in some cases “squeezed out creative space” in humanitarian organizations, said Buchanan-Smith.
“Stifling culture of compliance”
“There is alarming evidence of a growing tendency towards risk-aversion in the sector, associated in part with the drive for accountability, which is resulting in a stifling culture of compliance (føjelighed), and in part with the constraints of bureaucracy,” said the report.
ALNAP’s head of research Paul Knox-Clarke told IRIN:
– There are more checks and balances, more boxes to tick (flere, der skal spørges først)… This can prevent bad or unusual things from happening, but in some situations sometimes the unorthodox is necessary.
The problem is particularly acute in UN institutions, which are more hierarchical and bureaucratic than NGOs, and where, “risk-taking by individuals is more likely when they disregard their own career paths and prioritize humanitarian objectives.”
As a result, good leadership often transpires (kommer for dagen) “in spite of” not “because of” organizational culture, says the report.
It gives the example of Andrew Macleod, UN cluster coordinator in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake, who regardless of his status in the hierarchy, effectively led coordination between the humanitarian community, national government and military communities.
Risk for risk’s sake is not the goal, rather “honourable risk” is worth striving for – that is, bold decisions are taken that recognize the heavy cost of failure, for instance, when lives are at stake, said Buchanan-Smith.
Abbas Gullet, head of the Kenya Red Cross, is seen by fellow staff as embodying this approach. – The sky is the limit, they said when describing his approach to bold, creative ideas.
Women, national staff under-represented
Læs videre påhttp://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92945
