Leadership Skills for Global Citizens

This morning, Upper School students, faculty, and staff gathered at assembly to hear from Marti Flacks, CEO of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs. Ms. Flacks shared insights from her career as a diplomat and foreign policy specialist, during which she has traveled to dozens of countries to help mediate cease-fires and peace agreements, support the implementation of elections, and develop new standards for business conduct related to transparency and human rights. Along the way, she has had to find common ground with a wide range of people, from dictators and heads of state to local community leaders.

Drawing on her government experiences at the State Department, Commerce Department, and the White House; and at nonprofit organizations, including The Carter Center, Ms. Flacks spoke about communication, discerning information, and negotiation—skills she emphasized are valuable not only in diplomacy, but in everyday life as a student, contributing citizen, and good human being. Through stories from her travels and work around the world, she encouraged students to think critically about the information they encounter and to approach those people who have fundamentally different worldviews with empathy, respect, and intellectual curiosity.

 

Ms. Flacks also discussed the challenges of navigating an increasingly complex global information landscape and the importance of discerning credible sources. She underscored the value of understanding different perspectives while remaining grounded in one’s own values, noting that learning how to disagree thoughtfully is essential to leadership and civic engagement. University School thanks Ms. Flacks for sharing her experiences and for engaging students in a thoughtful and timely conversation.

 

Marti Flacks grew up in Solon. She earned a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University, and a JD from Columbia Law School. She recently began her role as CEO of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, whose mission is to connect Clevelanders to the world, and to communicate to the people of Greater Cleveland why what is happening in the rest of the world matters here, and how we can all contribute to peace and justice around the world.