Building life-long connections through global leadership opportunities
From meeting diplomats to interning at a global NGO, Jack's experience of the Wellington International Leadership Programme (WILP) had a lasting impact.
Jack meets the Rt Hon Helen Clark.
Building life-long connections through global leadership opportunities
From meeting diplomats to interning at a global NGO, Jack's experience of the Wellington International Leadership Programme (WILP) had a lasting impact.
We had the pleasure of connecting with Jack Lewington, a recent Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Relations) graduate, to hear about his experience in the Wellington International Leadership Programme (WILP), the life-long connections he made, and his future aspirations. Jack shared insights into his interactions with key decision-makers and the lasting impact of the programme on his personal and professional growth. In our conversation, Jack discusses the unique access he had to influential leaders, his learning experiences with academics, and one unexpected gain from engaging with people outside his direct field of study.
What was one of your most memorable WILP experiences?
Interacting with Diplomats such as H. E. Thomas Udall through the Diplomatic Dialogue series, gave me a deep appreciation for the work ambassadors representing the views of their states with others. My interactions with Ambassador Udall I found to have a profound effect on me, as he elaborated on questions I wanted insight into, allowing me to challenge and improve how I articulate my positions in discussion.
What were some of the skills you gained through WILP?
The skills I have learned from WILP and applied in my growth journey to become a better leader have been incredible. The Global Enterprise Experience (GEE) programme I was introduced to allowed me to work with incredible individuals from The Netherlands, China, Nigeria, and at home as well. At the start of GEE, I had never worked on projects with people who did not have English as their primary language. This led to some misunderstandings with group members, but allowed me to gain valuable new skills, cultural sensitivity, and how best to communicate my thoughts. After this challenge, I adjusted how I would communicate using simple ideas. This helped me develop my leadership skills by understanding the importance of bringing all people along with me to achieve our lofty goals.
What did you learn about leadership through WILP?
The Think Pacific (TP) internship has also taught me much about my potential leadership. My role in this internship was to research and develop offsetting policies with the TP’s foundation and other NGOs. At the beginning of the internship, the wealth of information I was given to inform me how I would approach the project was overwhelming; however, having other interns gave me insights and feedback, as well as guidance from my mentor, made me unlock the skills of my leadership style. I would sometimes rush to conclusions about how the project should look and want out of the end. The direction I received from other interns and my mentor for the Think Pacific made me realize that, to achieve a well-informed outcome, it is important to seek advice and implement changes that others suggest. This challenge out of my internship has made me grow as a person and leader by giving a new perspective to approach my work from, which ultimately leads me to a better leadership style, bringing people along the journey with me, which I believe is key to any effective leader.
Key take-aways from WILP?
Jack meeting Ambassador H.E. Thomas Udall.
The challenges facing leadership in our ever-changing world are multifaceted, and my strong conviction is that a key challenge to modern leadership has become the inability to build consensus around an idea or value; instead, leaders are retreating to the foundation of their support and refusing to acknowledge other viewpoints. My aspiration as a future leader will always be to reach out and have robust discussions with those I disagree with. My experiences with GEE have allowed me to gain some valuable experience in this area recently, which has been incredibly fruitful. It is what I believe the WILP does best, bringing together a wide range of views and pushing for hard but productive debate on issues, helping me develop my own unique leadership style and learn from other incredible individuals.
I have adored and loved the WILP programme the events and opportunities I have been afforded will last forever, my ability to challenge myself and be confident in what I believe has grown tenfold; it is my desire to use my connections I have gained to leverage my newly found skills and experiences to enhance my future career aspirations in diplomacy and corporate affairs. I will always hold dear this program and cannot say more highly of it to those who will come after me.
Reflecting on his time at Victoria University of Wellington, Jack shared a heartfelt message for staff, "Please keep pushing the Wellington International Leadership Programme forward. It is so important for all students from everywhere to be aware of the world around them, and their agency to enhance and change it."
