Shades of Gray: Leadership Advancement Tips From Former Ukraine Ambassador
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch at the recent Chicago Humanities Festival. (Photo by Timothy M. Schmidt.)
“All of a sudden whispers become large shouts,” Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told a crowd recently at the Chicago Humanities Festival.
Talking about her politically-forced firing from her position as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in 2019 after 33 years of foreign service and three ambassador posts, Yovanovitch adds, “This is not anything I imagined would happen to me.”
The Senior Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace at Georgetown University, Yovanovitch added, “It was clear I was not going to last, even if in the footnote of history, we will find out more things.”
Yovanovitch offered lessons not just in political astuteness and diplomacy, but persistence, survival and principles that women—and men—in leadership can apply to any field or discipline.
“At @chihumanities, Yovanovitch offered lessons not just in political astuteness and diplomacy, but persistence, survival and principles that #women—and men—in #leadership can apply to any field or discipline.”
“You think foreign policy is about the clear, good choice and it is usually about shades of gray and picking the least bad option,” says Yovanovitch.
Hers is a mantra that can be applied to leadership strategies in positions across corporations, institutions, non-profits and entrepreneurial entities.
What is critical in any business or entity, she says, is to have leadership that is transparent and ethical.
“You need strong ethical people up the chain and that requires strong personnel policies so people will do the right thing and won’t be silenced,” Yovanovitch says.
The daughter of immigrant parents who came to the U.S. from Canada, and prior to that from Soviet Union-controlled Yugoslavia, Yovanovitch says, “My parents never took anything for granted.” They also instilled in her a hard work ethic and a ton of gratitude.
““You think foreign policy is about the clear, good choice and it is usually about shades of gray and picking the least bad option.”— Marie Yovanovitch at @chihumanities. #powerfulwomen”
Living in Connecticut since she was three, Yovanovitch graduated from Princeton University in 1980, and later a master’s degree from the National Defense University.
“I loved history and politics and travel,” Yovanovitch says, who was also fluent in Russian.
After working in advertising in New York for a few years, she joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1986, with her first assignment in Ottawa, then later working in Somalia, Moscow, and London. From May 1998 to May 2000, she served as the Deputy Director of the Russia Desk in the U.S. Department of State.
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Her career in government is exemplary, as Yovanovitch received numerous Presidential and State Department awards, including the Secretary’s Diplomacy in Human Rights Award.
“Her career in government is exemplary, as Yovanovitch received numerous Presidential and State Department awards, including the Secretary’s Diplomacy in Human Rights Award. #femaleleader #humanrights”
“Women still comprise only 41.9 percent of Foreign Service generalists, 28.9 percent of Foreign Service specialists and 32.4 percent of the Senior Foreign Service,” according to a July 2021 American Foreign Service report on equity.
“And while State continues to make progress on recruiting women, not nearly enough women are moving up the ranks. In 2020, women made up only 28 percent of ambassadors representing the United States overseas, down from an already inadequate 33 percent in previous years. Women of color and women with disabilities, in particular, have been noticeably excluded from these and too many other top positions,” the report continues.
The good news is that the role of women in top diplomatic positions is expanding.
Ambassador Victoria Nuland was sworn-in as Under Secretary for Political Affairs in April 2021. Rosemary Anne DiCarlo is United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Linda Thomas-Greenfield became the Representative of the United States to the United Nations as well as the Representative of the United States in the Security Council of the United Nations on January 20, 2021.
Such high profile appointments follow a recent study by the Foreign Service of more than 700 employees ranking barriers to advancement in three categories: barriers related specifically to gender, barriers related to family life, and barriers related to workplace challenges. The categories include unconscious bias related to gender; lack of a mechanism, or its failure, to hold higher-level personnel accountable for gender bias or discrimination and a culture that discourages the use of work-life balance flexibilities.
“High profile appointments of women in top diplomatic positions follows a recent study by @Afsatweets of more than 700 employees ranking barriers to advancement in three categories, including unconscious bias related to gender. #glassceiling #diplomacy”
Having served later as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2004–2005, U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan from 2005–2008, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia from 2008–2011, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs 2012–2013, Yovanovitch’s final role was as Ambassador to Ukraine.
Days after her talk, the Senate unanimously confirmed career Foreign Service officer Bridget Brink to serve as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, as Yovanovitch’s succcessor after a three year gap.
“Bridget has a lot of management experience, a lot of leadership experience,” Marie Yovanovitch, Washington’s last ambassador to Ukraine, told POLITICO. “She knows how to put together teams and, you know, get to success. And I think that’s what she’s going to do. She’s very strong.”
Read more from Gloria Feldt on bravery in Ukraine
When asked what country or role was her favorite, Yovanovitch responded diplomatically, “Just as with children, you never name the favorite.”
Prior to her ousting from Ukraine, Yovanovitch says she encountered with some of her colleagues, “a low level of hostility.”
Addressing the war in Ukraine, Yovanovitch explains, “The U.S. tried to bring Russia into the international community and tried to reach out a hand to (Boris) Yelstin and Putin. We tried really hard, we were making some headway and then Putin came in.” She adds, “So you wonder if this was inevitable.”
“Addressing the war in #Ukraine at @chihumanities, Yovanovitch explains, “The U.S. tried to bring Russia into the international community...we tried really hard, we were making some headway and then Putin came in.” #internationalrelations”
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With her knowledge of Russia and Putin’s goals for Ukraine, Yovanovitch says, “He wanted for this moment to cement his legacy and to bring back to Russia what it is owed. She added that Putin invokes a Russia mantra that translates to “gather up the lands.”
While she says she is unsure of what will happen with this unprovoked war that is now three months long, she adds, “Vladimir Zelensky united Ukrainian people and inspired the world. What is at stake is the world is less secure, less prosperous, less free for all of us. It’s also risky not to do enough.”
“While she says she is unsure of what will happen with this unprovoked war, she adds, “@ZelenskyyUa united Ukrainian people and inspired the world. What is at stake is the world is less secure, less prosperous, less free for all of us. It’s also risky not to do enough.” #FreeUkraine”
The lessons learned from this hostility can be applied to other arenas. “We need to not take our institutions, rights and responsibilities for granted. Our institutions need our people just as much as our people need our institutions.”
She adds, “We need to make sure this is the last time.”
