Assistant Professor Sedak leads training workshop on leadership communication in North Macedonia

Kristijan Sedak, PhD, a lecturer at the University Department of Communication Studies at the Catholic University of Croatia and an international expert in political communication and party building, delivered an interactive training session entitled “Leadership Communication: Credibility, Trust and Impact” for members of the VMRO-DPMNE leadership, ministers and deputy ministers, members of parliament, mayors, and other senior political and public officials in North Macedonia.

The workshop was held as part of the programme “Strategic Leadership and Effective Communication for Good Governance”, organized in Mavrovo by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in North Macedonia and the party’s Research and Analytical Centre “Ljubisha Georgievski”. The programme brought together senior representatives of the Government and the party and focused on leadership, strategic communication, public accountability, and good governance.

In a practical and interactive format, participants worked on developing clear and persuasive messages, communicating complex decisions to the public, responding to critical and provocative questions, and communicating under pressure. Particular emphasis was placed on building trust, distinguishing between institutional and party communication, and adapting messages to different leadership roles. Through simulations, work on specific scenarios, and the exchange of experiences, participants analysed how leaders can maintain credibility in situations where public expectations are high, decisions are sensitive, and information is incomplete. “Difficult questions are not a problem, but an opportunity for a leader to demonstrate credibility,” Sedak emphasized.

The training highlighted the importance of continuously developing the communication and leadership capacities of political and public officials, particularly in an environment characterized by an accelerated media cycle, high public expectations, and a strong public demand for clear answers.