Insights From a Decade of Leadership Development in International Humanitarian and Crisis Responses
Tracks
Marquis Room | In-Person Only
| Tuesday, July 23, 2024 |
| 11:40 AM - 12:00 PM |
Overview
Joshua Hallwright & Associate Professor Mary Ana McGlasson, Centre For Humanitarian Leadership, Deakin University
Details
Key Presentation Learnings:
1. Leadership in disaster and emergency contexts differs in significant ways from traditional notions of leadership.
2. There are conceptual insights and practical exercises and approaches that can strengthen one's leadership competencies in times of disasters and emergencies.
3. There is a significant but as yet unfulfilled opportunity to systemically enhance learning exchanges between the international humanitarian and crisis response sector, and the Australian and New Zealand disaster and emergency management sectors.
Speaker
Associate Professor Mary Ana McGlasson
Director
Centre for Humanitarian Leadership
Insights From a Decade of Leadership Development in International Humanitarian and Crisis Responses
Abstract
Disasters and emergencies are increasing around the world, in both scale and complexity. To be able to provide assistance to people affected by these disasters and emergencies requires significant resources and considerable skill. In these difficult contexts, the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership works to enhance the leadership skills and expertise of those involved in meeting the needs of people affected by disasters around the world.
We know that leadership in crises differs somewhat from more traditional notions of leadership in the corporate, political, and military spheres. Leadership in disaster and emergency contexts requires competencies in navigating complexity and dynamic environments, in working collaboratively inside and in-between organisations and communities, in self-care and looking after the well-being of colleagues, all in high-risk settings in which there are life-and-death consequences to some decisions yet unclear measures of success.
Our presentation will outline these different aspects of leadership in crisis contexts then summarise the insights the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership has gained in developing such leadership competencies.
These include conceptual insights such as the CHL Leadership Behaviours Framework, and the value of a relational approach to leadership, as well as practical insights such as how compassion can be of use in crises, and how biomimicry can support leadership practice. These insights have been stress-tested with disaster management and humanitarian response leaders from Europe, the Middle East, West and Central Africa, Australia, South-East Asia, the Pacific, and elsewhere.
The presentation will be a brief summary of more than a decade’s worth of academic research and practical experience gathered from around the world.
We know that leadership in crises differs somewhat from more traditional notions of leadership in the corporate, political, and military spheres. Leadership in disaster and emergency contexts requires competencies in navigating complexity and dynamic environments, in working collaboratively inside and in-between organisations and communities, in self-care and looking after the well-being of colleagues, all in high-risk settings in which there are life-and-death consequences to some decisions yet unclear measures of success.
Our presentation will outline these different aspects of leadership in crisis contexts then summarise the insights the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership has gained in developing such leadership competencies.
These include conceptual insights such as the CHL Leadership Behaviours Framework, and the value of a relational approach to leadership, as well as practical insights such as how compassion can be of use in crises, and how biomimicry can support leadership practice. These insights have been stress-tested with disaster management and humanitarian response leaders from Europe, the Middle East, West and Central Africa, Australia, South-East Asia, the Pacific, and elsewhere.
The presentation will be a brief summary of more than a decade’s worth of academic research and practical experience gathered from around the world.
Biography
Mr Joshua Hallwright
Deputy Director
Centre For Humanitarian Leadership, Deakin University
Insights from a decade of leadership development in international humanitarian and crisis responses
Abstract
Disasters and emergencies are increasing around the world, in both scale and complexity. To be able to provide assistance to people affected by these disasters and emergencies requires significant resources and considerable skill. In these difficult contexts, the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership works to enhance the leadership skills and expertise of those involved in meeting the needs of people affected by disasters around the world.
We know that leadership in crises differs somewhat from more traditional notions of leadership in the corporate, political, and military spheres. Leadership in disaster and emergency contexts requires competencies in navigating complexity and dynamic environments, in working collaboratively inside and in-between organisations and communities, in self-care and looking after the well-being of colleagues, all in high-risk settings in which there are life-and-death consequences to some decisions yet unclear measures of success.
Our presentation will outline these different aspects of leadership in crisis contexts then summarise the insights the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership has gained in developing such leadership competencies.
These include conceptual insights such as the CHL Leadership Behaviours Framework, and the value of a relational approach to leadership, as well as practical insights such as how compassion can be of use in crises, and how biomimicry can support leadership practice. These insights have been stress-tested with disaster management and humanitarian response leaders from Europe, the Middle East, West and Central Africa, Australia, South-East Asia, the Pacific, and elsewhere.
The presentation will be a brief summary of more than a decade’s worth of academic research and practical experience gathered from around the world.
We know that leadership in crises differs somewhat from more traditional notions of leadership in the corporate, political, and military spheres. Leadership in disaster and emergency contexts requires competencies in navigating complexity and dynamic environments, in working collaboratively inside and in-between organisations and communities, in self-care and looking after the well-being of colleagues, all in high-risk settings in which there are life-and-death consequences to some decisions yet unclear measures of success.
Our presentation will outline these different aspects of leadership in crisis contexts then summarise the insights the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership has gained in developing such leadership competencies.
These include conceptual insights such as the CHL Leadership Behaviours Framework, and the value of a relational approach to leadership, as well as practical insights such as how compassion can be of use in crises, and how biomimicry can support leadership practice. These insights have been stress-tested with disaster management and humanitarian response leaders from Europe, the Middle East, West and Central Africa, Australia, South-East Asia, the Pacific, and elsewhere.
The presentation will be a brief summary of more than a decade’s worth of academic research and practical experience gathered from around the world.
Biography
Josh is a humanitarian and disaster risk managment specialist with more than 14 year’s experience in the sector. He has worked for a wide range of organisations, including Oxfam, UN OCHA, Red Cross, MSF, and AusAID in Australia, the Pacific, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.
His research interests lie in the evolution of the humanitarian system, how disaster responses are financed, humanitarian and crisis leadership, the use of advanced technologies in the humanitarian sector, and how to connect the local with the global. Josh recently completed his PhD in humanitarian financing. He has co-authored eight peer-reviewed academic articles along these themes.
