Margaret was the keynote speaker at UNDP Africa speaking on Resilient leadership in multicultural environments. She provided great insights for the leadership session attended by UNDP’s African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Programme | United Nations Development Programme) and the Japanese Awaji Youth Federation (Home - Awaji Youth Federation) emerging leaders.
Margaret emphasized that it is important to:
Lead with cultural intelligence and empathy
Embrace adaptability and learn from challenges
Foster inclusivity by making space for all voices
Commit to continuous growth
Drawing on more than three decades working with law enforcement agencies, NGOs and the United Nations in more than 20 countries, including postings in Uzbekistan, Albania, Thailand, Austria and Ethiopia, Margaret illustrated each principle with lessons from her own leadership journey. She spoke candidly about navigating institutional barriers within global organisations and about her decision to step back from the UN as an act of leadership in itself. Her message to the fellows was that leadership is a continuous process of movement, learning and reinvention, and that purpose, once found, should be allowed to evolve rather than be held to a single title or role.
For young professionals specifically, Margaret pointed to cultural intelligence, emotional resilience, adaptability and inclusive leadership as core skills, drawing on examples from leading a team of thirteen nationalities to show how understanding difference, managing personal triggers and making space for every voice turns cultural diversity into a genuine leadership strength.