During his time as United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has worked on many different types of challenges. He has learned a lot from his experiences and has been able to put those lessons to good use.
One of the most important things that he has learned is that it’s crucial to work with other stakeholders during times of crisis. He has been a big proponent of collaboration between humanitarian and development actors.
1. Take Action
In a speech that was a little too blunt for UN diplomats, Guterres laid out the big, dramatic challenges facing the world today. He sounded a warning that geopolitical divides are undermining people’s trust in democracy, international law and most forms of global cooperation.
He also pointed to wars, reverberating conflicts and spiking fuel prices; food shortages; economic inequality; migration; disinformation; hate speech; public health and more. And he called for more action to address them all.
To make that happen, he pushed rich developed nations to tax windfall profits from the fossil fuel industry, which reaps hundreds of billions of dollars while family budgets shrink and the planet burns. He also urged a group of 20 countries that emit 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions to pay their share of the climate crisis.
Guterres’s leadership is based on a commitment to human dignity, which he makes the core of his work as UN Secretary-General. He is determined to be a peace broker and bridge-builder, and to promote reform and innovation. He has seen first-hand the suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth, in refugee camps and in war zones, so he is dedicated to making human rights the top priority of his work.
2. Keep an Open Mind
An open mind allows you to embrace new ideas, people and experiences. This can help you to grow as a person and become an even better version of yourself.
Keeping an open mind is essential for being able to make decisions that will benefit the world at large. It can also make it easier to understand those around you.
When you keep an open mind, you’re able to try out new ideas and experiences without fearing that they will change your beliefs or values. This can lead to a lot of growth and development, which is one of the most important leadership lessons from Antonio Guterres.
This is especially important when working with others. You’ll be able to work through disagreements more easily and help them feel understood, which can lead to much better relationships with the people you encounter.
For example, when it comes to climate change, being able to embrace new ideas can be extremely beneficial for the planet and its inhabitants. It can help us to prevent disasters and save lives.
Having an open mind is also essential for staying motivated and optimistic about the future. This will help you to continue to push forward and succeed in your career and in life.
3. Listen to the People
Listening is one of the most important things to do. It shows that you respect your audience and what they have to say, even if they disagree with you. It is also an important skill for communication and negotiating. It can help you determine if you’ve heard the message correctly and allow you to ask questions or repeat what was said.
It also helps you understand your environment more thoroughly. You can tell if a person is happy, sad or frustrated by the pitch, tones and speed of their voice.
Guterres, who was elected secretary-general of the United Nations last year, has a strong track record of working towards global peace and human rights for all. He has a deep knowledge of conflict and is passionate about helping those who have been displaced by violence.
He has a lot of experience in government and public service, including serving as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. He is also the former president of the Socialist International, a global organization of social democratic political parties.
He was nominated as the next secretary-general of the United Nations by the Security Council in October 2016 and was elected after a vote of the General Assembly the following month. He is the first European to hold this post since Kurt Waldheim in 1981.
4. Communicate Your Vision
Every great leader has a vision. Nelson Mandela envisioned a country free of Apartheid; Susan B. Anthony envisioned women having the right to vote; and Steve Jobs envisioned the future of technology.
A strong vision will motivate you to take action and move your mission forward. But that vision must be shared with others, too.
John Kotter, author of the seminal book Leading Change*, found that not communicating a vision was one of the major reasons that change programs fail. Fortunately, he also discovered that leaders who communicate their vision are better at motivating their teams to bring the idea to life.
In order to communicate your vision, you need to use a variety of methods. This includes speeches, staff newsletters, social media, intranet sites and more. You should also talk about the vision in a way that makes it personal to people, both intellectually and emotionally.
Moreover, your vision must be brief and sincere. This is because it’s easy to talk about a vision for your neighborhood too long or in a way that doesn’t connect with people.
Communicating your vision is critical because it can help you to establish a strong foundation for success in your organization. It provides structure in your communications so that people can understand how new projects and initiatives fit within the overall vision. Additionally, it helps to demonstrate executive presence, which is important if you’re looking for a promotion or want to engage your team more effectively.
5. Be Flexible
As a leader, you need to be able to adapt your leadership style to meet the needs of the people and situations that you are working with. This means allowing your followers to experiment with different ideas and taking them on a journey of self-discovery. It also means ensuring that you are still able to meet the demands of your company and its goals.
Being flexible is a skill that requires some time and practice, but it’s something that can be learned by anyone. In the workplace, flexibility is crucial because it allows leaders to implement new behaviors into existing scenarios, which can help them express creativity and find innovative solutions for problems.
In addition, it helps them remain centered on their company’s culture and values while making decisions about their business and its future. When leaders are willing to change their leadership styles in order to meet the needs of their organization, they’ll find that it makes them more successful.
Flexibility is an important leadership trait that can be implemented by leaders of all backgrounds and experiences. It’s especially helpful for leaders of all ages, as the economy continues to be dynamic and unpredictable.
6. Don’t Take No for an Answer
It can be difficult to hear that someone does not want to work with you or does not believe that your skills are where they need to be. But sometimes it’s important to hear that no, because this will help you see where you need to focus your attention and improve your situation.
Antonio Guterres has a knack for public advocacy, and his skill at communicating the need to assist refugees is an asset in his new position as UN secretary general. He has made a case for global action on issues like climate change, and he’s also pushed for more international cooperation and trust in political processes.
But his approach to tackling some of the world’s most pressing crises has been met with skepticism, and even criticism. He’s criticized Russia for its support of the government in Syria, and he’s made it clear that the United States and China must come to terms with the crisis there.
He’s criticized the UN’s lack of action on some issues, particularly climate change, and he’s argued that the wealthy need to be responsible for their emissions. But his relentlessness about tackling climate change and his sweeping criticisms of Russia have caused some to resent him, according to one UN aide.
It’s a tough job for Guterres to take on, especially at a time when the US and Russia are battling over the future of Syria, which poses the biggest single challenge to the UN since World War II. But he’s got plenty of experience in both fields, and he’ll be well equipped to tackle these complex problems.
