Senior Course 144: The Leadership Programme

Senior Course 144 concluded with two days devoted to thinking about leadership, understanding what leadership means, and articulating how leadership is translates general theoretical terms into practical terms.

The Strategic Leadership Programme came full circle by linking the beginning of the Senior Course, which was focused on the importance of culture, with the end of the Course. After months of analysing the many factors and issues affecting NATO, the final days of the Course focused on the importance of developing effective strategic leaders in an international environment such as the Alliance.

The programme was organized over two days. On the first day, dedicated to leadership theory, Ms Christina Orisich, of the Geneva Center for Security Policy, presented the aspects of effective leadership within a team and how to address complex leadership challenges with the mindset of Polarity Thinking as well as through interactive process and exercises.

On the second day, Ms Elisabetta Giazzi of Porsche Consulting, Mr Paul Sewell of NATO and LGEN (retired) Michael Lollesgaard shared their personal experiences and observations on strategic leadership in action. Coming from three different environments and backgrounds, these three high-level experts interacted with Course Members, sharing their perspectives, and providing key advice on effective leadership.

One of the main objectives of the NDC’s educational offerings is to educate and to prepare future NATO leaders, and to enable them to operate in a NATO and/or international environment, from both a technical and a human perspective.

The human factor is crucial in an educational environment, but especially in an international security organization such as NATO. The Leadership Programme has been planned and designed to prepare Course Members for their future positions, with important input on how to achieve effective leadership.

NDC Public Affairs Office