Claudia Seymour is a Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the Geneva Graduate Institute and Head of Applied Research Projects and Practice for the Master in International and Development Studies (MINT). With extensive experience in conflict research, peacebuilding, and humanitarian action, her work focuses on ethical engagement and leadership in complex environments. The new upskill series course, Become a Leader in Diplomacy, recently launched in partnership with the MINT, draws on her expertise to help future leaders navigate today’s diplomatic challenges.
What do you see as the main challenges for leadership in diplomacy today? In your view, what does it mean to lead ethically in the field of diplomacy?
Leading ethically requires courage, integrity, accountability and humility. These qualities are needed not only in the field of diplomacy, but in all sectors. Given the state of current geopolitics, ethical leadership is more crucial now than ever before. When it feels like so much is at stake, we need leaders who will stand with clarity and conviction to protect the values we cherish. Freedom, dignity, justice, the protection of human rights and international law—what else matters to us? What are we prepared to fight for? We must be very clear about this.
We each have a leadership role to play in our own lives: personally, politically and professionally. But this is not easy, or evident, and will take serious commitment and action from each one of us. It is time to replace old tendencies towards complacency and denial with engagement in our communities and countries. We are witnessing now what happens when we allow authoritarian, fear-based models of leadership to take over.
There is a different way to lead—and indeed, to live—our lives. We know the transformative power of care, cooperation and interdependence, but are we each willing to exercise our own power to live into these values? This is the ethical question of our times, and much depends on how we choose to answer.
Could you tell us more about the Become a Leader in Diplomacy course and what participants can expect from it?
The course is designed to support emerging and mid-career professionals who want to strengthen their leadership capacities in the field of diplomacy and international affairs. It offers a reflective and practical space to explore key questions of purpose, responsibility, and impact in complex global environments. Through interactive workshops, expert insights, and peer learning, participants will develop essential skills in negotiation, mediation, and ethical leadership—tools that are increasingly vital in today’s uncertain world. Whether working in government, international organisations, NGOs, or the private sector, participants are invited to rethink what it means to lead with integrity and vision.
By Claudia Seymour, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the Geneva Graduate Institute and Head of Applied Research Projects and Practice for the Master in International and Development Studies (MINT)
For more information about the upskill series course, Become a Leader in Diplomacy, visit the programme webpage.
I had the pleasure of being in one of Dr. Claudia’s classes. It has undoubtedly been one of the most eye-opening courses I’ve taken at the Institute. Claudia takes theoretical concepts and brings them to life through her passion, expertise, and depth of knowledge — you’ll be left in wonder, awe, and a sense of urgency to take action — all at once. Don’t believe me? Take one of her courses and you’ll know. Thank you for all that you do, Dr. Claudia.