To be a good leader, first be a good human being: A spotlight interview with Federica Dispenza

The Leadership, Women and the UN programme is a unique learning opportunity for women leaders who work for the UN system at the P4 or P5 level. It offers a personalized and holistic leadership development journey that has been carefully adapted in view of the challenges and setbacks they encounter within the UN and beyond.

Federica Dispenza, a recent alumna of the programme, shares her reflections from her learning journey and the plans that she has already put in action, as the Community Security and Social Cohesion Specialist with UNDP in Ukraine.  Federica leads the implementation of project activities related to rule of law, human rights, community security, social cohesion, and has worked for more than a decade on joint programming, managing, and overseeing projects in fragile and/or politically sensitive operating contexts and complex or protracted crisis. She speaks with UNSSC’s Bhagyashree Sagar.

Bhagyashree: Why did you decide to be a part of this leadership development journey that is only offered to Women?

Federica: As a relatively young woman with aspirations to be a leader inside the UN, I had been reflecting for quite some time on what it means to be a woman leader inside the system, and how to find my own leadership style – something that is truly mine as part of my professional development path.

And I thought that having the opportunity to exchange with other women who share similar aspirations, and who are also a part of the UN system, would be a great opportunity to learn, to share my challenges with them and just try to understand whether the feeling is just me - in having trouble finding a space here.

And my expectations were more than met when I started interacting with the other course participants – it gave me a lot of assurance because it was not only me. These were the key things that I was looking for from the course, and I was very happy to see fully addressed.

Bhagyashree: Tell us more about the how the learning journey was for you…

Federica: At the beginning I was a little bit sceptical about the theoretical framing. And, I have to admit that I was proven completely wrong in my expectation because it was fantastic!

The conversations that we had with alumni and with experts or leaders inside the UN system were eye opening and a fantastic opportunity to ask practical, candid questions about their leadership journey.

That is one thing that the course gave - a safe space to share experiences, challenges and upsets we may have had in our careers; this was very valuable.

 

 

Bhagyashree: Any specific thematic area that resonated strongly with you from the programme?

One thing I truly enjoyed was how different cultural contexts require us to adopt different communication styles, and how as a leader, we must connect with our teams mindfully across cultures – especially as an international staff. 

I have worked in different countries and settings and have had to make some major adjustments across different contexts in how I present myself. So, this is one of the most practical takeaways that I took from the the programme. 

And I also really enjoyed the executive coaching opportunity! 

Bhagyashree: Speaking of coaching – how was your experience, especially in terms of helping you look ahead?

You have fantastic coaches! Not only was it an insightful experience given my particular circumstances, but it was also a very grounding experience. It forced me to think about what my core beliefs were, and whether I was acting in line with them as a leader.

And through the conversations with the coach, I did realize that there were aspects where I was holding myself back. I was not putting myself out there as I should about things I strongly believed in and that was very inspiring and eye opening.

Bhagyashree: Based on the conversations with your coach, and your action plan, have you already been able to incorporate the learnings from the programme into your day-to-day work within the context that you are working in?

Federica: I have been very much acting upon the learning that I got through the programme by choosing to use some action principles.

The coaching experience has already taken me forward in my leadership journey because it pushed me to apply for a higher position that I was eyeing for a really long time. Because before, I never felt that I had the right expertise, or I was good enough or prepared enough for – but now I have pushed myself as a courageous leader would. 

Secondly, I continue to be in touch with other programme alumnae - the opportunity to build a relationship with other women leaders in the UN is a richness that I will keep and cherish. 

As for the next step, and particularly relevant for the context I work in – a war zone - is helping others find a healthy work-life balance. With my team, we have put together a set of ground rules to support each other and our mental wellbeing and respecting our individual identities to create safe spaces and a good working environment. And encourage a life outside of work! 

Bhagyashree: What would you consider your key takeaway from this course?

Federica: I really appreciated the emphasis on being a good human as a prerequisite to being a good leader. And the importance of who a leader is – a balanced and an authentic person. 

Possibly the best part was thinking about leadership inside the UN, and not as something enshrined in a charter. The emphasis was placed on the importance of identifying what really resonates with us, what are the principles that we want to lead with, how can we be our most authentic self as leaders and forcing us to think and reflect on what type of leaders we want to be.

Bhagyashree: What would be your advice to fellow women leaders who look to pursue this programme?

Federica: I can only advocate for more women to get involved and to set aside the time to follow the learning, the sessions together, but also to reflect afterwards. 

If one wants to have a real hands-on, practical, frank, candid discussion about what leadership means in the UN – this is the space. 

The opportunity to learn from others and share your own experiences and really feeling that we are not alone – this sense of community, that is committed, inspiring and ambitious, and that can support you through challenges as peers is key.