H.E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović - Persistent, Patient, and Creative

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H.E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is Croatia's 4th and 1st female President (2015-2020) with broad national and international experience in politics, diplomacy, and security studies. During her career as an elected official and in national and international civil service, among others, she was elected a Member of the Croatian Parliament (2003) and served as Croatia’s first female Minister of Foreign Affairs (2003-2008) and Ambassador to the United States, Mexico, Panama and the Organisation of American States (2008-2011), as well as the first female Assistant Secretary General and member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Senior Leadership (2011-2014).

She was elected an independent member of the International Olympic Committee in 2020, and has been appointed Chair of the Future Hosts Commission for the Games of the Olympiad. She is a Special Advisor to the Dean of the Zagreb School of Economics and Management. She serves on the boards of several not-for-profit institutions, such as Friends of Europe, the US Atlantic Council, GLOBSEC, Halifax International Security Forum, the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, and the Concordia Leadership Council. She is a Member of the High-Level Advisory Council for the High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the Global Ambassador for Immunization for Women Political Leaders (WPL), and chair emerita of the Council of Women World Leaders.

Parallel to her diplomatic and political careers, she has pursued an academic career in government, international relations, and security studies at the Vienna Diplomatic Academy (1994-1995), the George Washington University (2002-2003), Harvard University (2009), the Johns Hopkins University (2011), and the University of Zagreb. She holds a Master’s degree and is writing a Ph.D. thesis in International Relations and Security Studies on the Responsibility to Protect. She received the 2019 Fulbright Lifetime Achievement award for her "remarkable contributions as a leader, diplomat, and public servant," the George Washington University President’s medal, and many other national and international awards, decorations, recognitions, honorary doctorates and honorary citizenships.

Quotes From This Episode

• "You have to be persistent. You have to be patient, and you have to be creative"
• "Human rights are not an internal issue any longer. And it’s not somebody else’s business. It’s the responsibility of all of us to ensure that they are respected everywhere in the world."
• "You have to be able to adjust your goals and adjust your plans. But even when you have to do that, you have to keep in mind that you shouldn’t be adjusting your values."

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Song:  A Voice for Ukraine by Slava Vakarchuk 

About  Scott J. Allen

• Website

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• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are important views to be aware of. Nothing can replace your own research and exploration.

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in the study, practice, and teaching of leadership.