Putting people at the heart of change: A spotlight interview with Zurab Elzarov

Zurab Elzarov is a senior United Nations (UN) leader with three decades of experience spanning peacekeeping, humanitarian response, development coordination and organizational transformation. His career reflects a rare combination of deep field exposure and system-wide strategic leadership, grounded in a strong commitment to UN values, accountability and people development. 

Alongside his official functions, Zurab regularly contributes to professional and policy discussions on leadership, peacekeeping, protection of civilians, gender parity, organizational culture and integrity in international organizations.  

Zurab recently completed UNSSC's In-depth Change Management programme, where he joined fellow practitioners from across the UN system to explore the human side of organizational change. In this interview with UNSSC’s Edina Awiti, he shares what motivated him to participate in the programme, the insights he gained, and how the experience is shaping his approach to leading change at a time of significant transformation across the Organization. 

Edina: Can you tell us about your current role and professional journey, and what led you to engage with change management in your work, particularly in the context of ongoing UN reforms like UN 2.0 and UN80? 

Zurab: I currently serve as Chief of the Organizational Development Section in the Office of Human Resources, Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC), where I lead initiatives related to learning, leadership development, organizational effectiveness and workforce transformation across the UN Secretariat. 

Over the past 30 years, I have served in humanitarian, peacekeeping and headquarters settings, often during periods of uncertainty and transition. Whether supporting conflict-to-post-conflict transitions in Sudan and Darfur or leading organizational initiatives at Headquarters, change has been the one constant. In many ways, change management has not been a separate discipline, but an integral part of my professional journey. 

The current reform agenda, including UN 2.0 and the UN80 initiative, represents one of the most significant periods of transformation for the organization. These reforms call not only for new systems and structures, but also for new mindsets, behaviours and ways of working. This made engaging more deeply with change management both professionally relevant and personally important. I wanted to strengthen my ability to support leaders and colleagues in navigating uncertainty while ensuring that change remains people-centred and aligned with UN values. 

Edina: Throughout this six-week programme, you worked on your own change case and received feedback from your peers and coaches. Can you share a key moment or insight that shifted your perspective on leading change? 

Zurab: One of the most valuable insights for me was the realization that resistance is not necessarily opposition to change, but more often a reflection of people's concerns, emotions and legitimate questions. As leaders, we sometimes become so focused on the destination that we underestimate the importance of understanding the experience of those going through the change. The peer coaching process was particularly powerful. Hearing perspectives from colleagues working in different contexts reminded me that successful change leadership is less about having all the answers and more about creating the conditions for dialogue, trust and shared ownership. 

The programme reinforced the importance of curiosity over certainty and empathy over assumptions. This shift in perspective has influenced how I approach change conversations. 

Edina: What difference have you observed in how you approach resistance, stakeholder engagement and communication since completing the course? 

Zurab: The programme encouraged me to become more intentional in these areas. Rather than viewing resistance as something to overcome, I now see it as valuable feedback that can help improve both the process and the outcome. 

I have become more deliberate in mapping stakeholders and understanding what matters to different groups. Communication is no longer simply about transmitting information but about listening, engaging and creating opportunities for meaningful participation. 

Another important lesson was that communication should not begin once decisions are made. Involving stakeholders early, even when all the answers are not yet available, helps build trust and fosters a sense of collective ownership. 

Edina: This programme combines behavioural science with practical leadership skills. How has it influenced your leadership style or mindset as a change agent? 

Zurab: The programme reinforced my belief that change is fundamentally about people rather than processes. Behavioural science helped me better appreciate how emotions, habits and perceptions influence how individuals respond to change. 

As a leader, I have become more conscious of the need to balance ambition with empathy and urgency with patience. Rather than focusing exclusively on technical solutions, I pay greater attention to creating psychological safety, encouraging experimentation and supporting people through uncertainty. 

Perhaps most importantly, the programme strengthened my conviction that change leadership is not about driving people forward, but about enabling them to move forward together. 

Edina: Based on your experience, what challenges do leaders commonly face in driving change, and how can they overcome them? 

Zurab: One common challenge is the natural tendency to underestimate the human side of change. Leaders often focus on plans, timelines and deliverables, while people are trying to make sense of what the change means for them personally. 

Another challenge is balancing competing priorities and maintaining momentum in complex environments where resources are limited and uncertainty is high. 

From my experience, these challenges can be addressed through transparent communication, active listening and meaningful engagement. Leaders do not need to have all the answers, but they do need to create trust and provide clarity where possible. Consistency, authenticity and empathy are often more important than perfection. 

Edina: The course highlights the importance of aligning change strategies with broader organizational goals and cultural shifts. In your view, what makes change initiatives succeed or fail in such complex environments? 

Zurab: In complex organizations like the UN, technical solutions alone are rarely sufficient. Change succeeds when there is a clear connection between the initiative and the organization's broader mission and values, and when leaders consistently model the behaviours they seek to promote. 

Successful change initiatives also create ownership at multiple levels rather than relying solely on top-down directives. People need to understand not only what is changing but also why it matters. 

Conversely, change initiatives often struggle when they are perceived as isolated projects, when communication is insufficient, or when cultural and behavioural dimensions are overlooked. Sustainable transformation requires attention to systems, structures and, equally importantly, to people and relationships. 

Edina: With continuous peer learning, feedback and knowledge exchange embedded in the course, what role do ongoing learning and collaboration play in effective change leadership? 

Zurab: Continuous learning and collaboration are essential because no leader can navigate complexity alone. One of the strengths of this programme was the opportunity to learn from peers with diverse experiences and perspectives. 

The challenges we face today are increasingly interconnected, and effective solutions often emerge through collaboration rather than individual expertise. Ongoing learning enables leaders to remain adaptable, while feedback helps us challenge assumptions and continuously improve. 

In many ways, change leadership itself is a learning journey. The more we cultivate communities of trust, exchange and collective reflection, the better equipped we are to lead meaningful and sustainable transformation. 

Ultimately, change is not something leaders do to people; it is something they accomplish with people.