Leadership That Shapes the Future: The NABU Case

Ukraine’s anti-corruption system today is at the epicenter of public attention. Political pressure, information attacks, strategic challenges – these topics appear daily on the front pages of the media. However, for the Center for Leadership of UCU and the UCU Business School, working with such institutions is not a reaction to the news, but part of a consistent strategy. For several years now, we as educational institutions have been supporting those who hold the institutional front line of the country: the reform teams of the High Anti-Corruption Court and the Prosecutor’s Office. And more recently – of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

In the spring of 2025, the leadership of NABU invited the UCU Business School and the Center for Leadership of UCU to conduct a strategic Leadership program for the management team. And they didn’t come to study Leadership in the abstract. These people came with a specific request: “We are implementing changes, but even within NABU, it is not always easy. We want to understand how to overcome resistance, how to unite the team, how to be not only managers but also change agents”. What came of it – read on.

Training That Responds to Real Challenges

The program “Leadership in Times of Change”, held in July this year, was delivered by the UCU Business School and the Center for Leadership of UCU for the Bureau’s top team: Director Semen Kryvonos, his deputies, heads of key departments, as well as HR and communications teams. On the morning of the first training day, one of the most massive missile attacks on Kyiv took place – but it did not disrupt our plans. On the contrary, it further emphasized the internal discipline and determination with which each participant holds their line of responsibility.

This was not a classic training, but a strategic conversation – an intensive dive into real challenges that reformers face every day, rather than a standard program. One of such stories participants experienced together with Zurab Alasania, exploring a case about the transformation of the Public Broadcaster. His candid story became a catalyst for sincere questions: How do you reform something that seems doomed? How do you avoid losing your team? How do you preserve respect where it is easy to cross the line?

How We Worked: From Virtues to Internal Conflicts

The starting point for discussions was the concept of Character-Based Leadership developed by our strategic partners from the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at Ivey Business School – where 11 Virtues serve as guiding principles that help one act with integrity even when it’s hard.

Under the mentorship of instructor and executive director of the Center for Leadership of UCU Andrew Rozhdestvensky and representatives of the UCU Business School, participants also worked on:

• understanding the nature of resistance to change (including their own resistance);
• analyzing the internal landscape of NABU as a system: its informal roles, conflicts, and sources of motivation;
• exploring tools that help lead in conditions of turbulence;
• reflecting on themselves not just as managers, but as drivers of change.

The program was unique and tailored to the Bureau’s needs. Well-chosen examples and exercises mirrored the real managerial challenges NABU faces. All of this together created space not only for learning but also for self-reflection – the ability to ask uncomfortable questions and to think deeply.

“I was truly impressed by how engaged, cohesive, and ready for autonomy the participants were. They worked attentively with the cases, asked deep questions, and looked for solutions. You can feel that this is a team that stands together and is ready to carry out their Mission responsibly, even despite the difficult external context”,

Andrew Rozhdestvensky later recalled.

What Did This Mean for the NABU Team?

Feedback is an essential part of any educational process and serves as our compass for further program development. It was especially valuable to hear reflections from the participants at the end of the training – because that speaks to the level of trust, openness, and strength with which the NABU team is now entering the most challenging period.

“You didn’t just go through the motions. You approached what we needed at this moment – with heart. And once again, I’m convinced: the NABU team is incredibly strong. It’s a shoulder you can lean on”,

shared Polina Lysenko, Deputy Director of NABU.

“Such meetings matter. They bring calm and clarity about where we’re headed. This is the key to our success: not to lose ourselves in the whirlwind of tasks, but to see the direction. And to have the team beside you”,

added Denys Hyulmagomedov, First Deputy Director of NABU.

A sort of final reflection on the significance of the program for Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions came from the address of Bureau Director Semen Kryvonos to the participants:

“I had a practical goal for this training: that you would see how the mechanism of overcoming resistance to change works. That no one becomes a limiting factor in the team, and that everyone understands their place within the system. That you don’t gather behind closed doors to resist change, but know how to implement it. We’ve already come a long way, and many have transformed. But now, I see in front of me change agents – those who possess leadership skills and are self-aware. And each of you now has a guide for how to lead others. Yes, the challenges of reform still lie ahead. But you already know: they are difficult, painful… but meaningful. And if you see the goal – you don’t lose yourself. You stay the course”.

Instead of an Epilogue

Recent events have shown once again: the anti-corruption system is back in the spotlight. We are witnessing attempts at pressure, trust erosion, and discreditation. But even before resistance to these efforts became mainstream – we were already working with those who are changing Ukraine. And we are proud of that, because we’ve come to see this institution as a “living” organization – one that truly wants change.

“Institutions like NABU are critical to Ukraine’s image on the international stage, and to building trust in the state as an integrated system. And at the same time – it’s these reform-driven institutions and the people inside them who are often under immense pressure. That’s why it’s so important for them to have a space for this kind of reflection – where they can strengthen their inner core, step outside themselves, and feel the power of the team that stands beside them. This training is not about theory – it’s about experience. Experience that helps not just to stay afloat, but to move forward in their Mission”,

said Yaryna Boychuk, Dean of the UCU Business School.

Working with leaders in the justice system is not new to us – it’s part of the long-term strategy of the Center for Leadership of UCU and the UCU Business School. It’s part of our Mission: to share knowledge with those who uphold the country. Because without a strong legal system, there will be no economy, no trust, and no development.

And we are truly grateful to the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) – Ukraine’s leading anti-corruption program, funded and implemented by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark – for their support in these transformations. Because change is always uncomfortable. But it is possible. And we are proud to work with a team that is ready to pursue it – day after day.