Ukraine: A Leadership Exam

Gerard Seijts, Andrew Rozhdestvensky, Taras Oleksyn

Product #:W50201

Supplier:Ivey/UCU

Discipline:Human Resource Management, Organizational Behaviour/Leadership

Setting:Ukraine, 2022

Details:Case (PDF) • 6 pages • 2026-08-11

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On February 24, 2022, Ukraine awoke to full-scale war. Overnight, millions lost their familiar context, stability, and sense of the future. People faced decisions unimaginable in peacetime: defending the country against a far stronger enemy, sustaining the economy amid the largest war of the modern era, and saving others when hope was nearly gone. Leadership was no longer defined by position or status, but by how people preserved their humanity, found meaning, and acted under loss, chaos, and danger. This case follows three Ukrainian leaders—different in roles and experiences, yet united by service and leadership character. It invites you to explore how leadership character shows up under pressure.

Learning Objectives

The video case and associated readings can be used in courses or modules at the undergraduate and graduate levels dealing with leadership, leader character, and resilience. The case would also serve well as a learning experience in executive education courses.

After working through the video case, suggested readings, and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:

Identify the competencies, character, and commitment associated with good leadership.
Articulate the behaviours associated with each of the 11 dimensions of the Leader Character framework developed by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership, Ivey Business School.
Consider parallels between leadership lessons embedded in the video case and their own leadership journey.