What's the leadership challenge you never say out loud?

👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5DSHQ2R - 6 to 8 minutes

Every leader in peace and security carries something they rarely name - a difficult relationship that drains energy, a high-stakes call that lingers at night, the constant tug-of-war between strategic vision and daily demands, or the quiet question of whether they're still leading from their values.

These challenges are real, they're personal, and in a field that demands composure, they're almost never examined. We're changing that. We're mapping the leadership challenges professionals in our sector personally face: which ones dominate, how they differ across diplomacy, defence, international organisations, government, civil society, academia and the private sector - and what actually helps leaders navigate them.

But a map is only as good as the voices behind it. That's why we need yours.

Why take part in the leadership challenges survey?

First access to the findings - before anyone else. As a respondent, you'll receive the full summary of results before wider publication. You'll be able to see how your challenges compare with those of your peers across the sector: which struggles are shared far more widely than anyone admits, how they shift with seniority, region and context, and where leaders like you are finding traction. Most respondents discover they're far less alone in their challenges than they thought - and that insight alone changes how the challenge feels.

A picture of the field no one has drawn before. Leadership challenges in peace and security are discussed in corridors, rarely in data. Your contribution helps build the first honest, evidence-based picture of what it actually takes to lead in this sector - a resource that will inform how leadership development is designed for professionals like you.

A structured pause you'll rarely give yourself. Six to eight minutes to step back and name what's actually hard right now - not in general, not for your organisation, but for you, in your leadership role. Respondents consistently tell us the questions alone bring clarity: simply seeing the challenges laid out helps them recognise patterns they hadn't put into words. Think of it as a short, private leadership check-up.

Complete confidentiality, zero performance. Your responses are anonymised and reported only in aggregate. Nothing will be attributed to you or your organisation. There are no right answers and no one to impress - your real, unpolished experience is precisely what makes this valuable.

You spend your days holding space for others - for teams, negotiations, institutions. This is eight minutes to focus on you and your challenges.

Thank you for your time! Be among the first to gain evidence-based insights into leadership in the peace and security sector.

Learn more about the Geneva Leadership Alliance