Leadership lessons for Chevening scholars and alumni: Reflections from the Bseisu Foundation

By Jezerca Tigani, Executive Director, Bseisu Foundation 

Leadership is often defined by a title or a point you reach in your career. But for me it has always felt more like a journey — one shaped by constant learning, courage and the ability to hold your values steady in difficult moments. 

Leadership is a lifelong journey  

I left Albania as a student when I was 18 years old and as a scholar of the Soros Foundation. I knew nothing about leadership then. Over the past two decades, working in human rights and humanitarian action, I navigated different cultures and led teams in places where the rules could change rapidly. I learned that real leadership rarely looks like certainty. 

As Chevening Scholars you already carry a sense of public purpose, and so my reflections come simply as an encouragement and are obviously from my perspective as a woman – leadership is not about being extraordinary; it is about remaining grounded in who you are, even when the world around you becomes unpredictable. 

True leaders don’t always hold authority 

Throughout my career — from Gaza, Syria and Afghanistan to Greece, Iraq and the Balkans — the strongest leaders I met had no formal authority. They were colleagues, often women, in the community who without any title knew exactly what the community needed and what the children needed to get to school. They led through presence, empathy and quiet determination. 

When I served as Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan at Terre des Hommes, my days ranged from visiting children’s detention centres in Iraq to opening new offices in unstable environments. Decisions at times were made with incomplete information. In those situations, leadership was not about projecting confidence or authority; it was about staying aware, listening deeply, and making choices rooted in humanity rather than fear. 

Being the only woman in the room requires strength and self-belief 

As a woman, these lessons often carried extra weight. I was frequently the only woman in negotiations or briefings, and my expertise many times was questioned before I spoke. Later, being selected for the UN Senior Women Talent Pipeline reminded me that female leadership is not an exception in global change — it is essential to it. Women often bring emotional intelligence, intuition and resilience that strengthen teams and build trust. These are not ‘soft skills’; they are the backbone of effective leadership. 

Leadership begins long before you hold a formal role  

For those beginning your postgraduate journeys, leadership may feel distant — something reserved for people with a title or decades of experience. But leadership begins much earlier. It begins the moment you decide to take responsibility for change, however small. 

Now, at the Bseisu Foundation, I see these same qualities in the students we support. Our mission is simple: to remove financial and social barriers so talented young people from Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria can access higher education. We invest in them because we recognise them as the leaders of today as well as tomorrow — individuals who will influence science, governance, technology, public service and community life. Supporting their education is an investment in the kind of leadership our world needs. 

Integrity is what carries you through uncertainty 

If there is one truth I carry from all these years, it is this: when you lead with integrity and humanity, people will walk with you — even when the path ahead is uncertain.