“At the global level, there have been strong commitments to collective humanitarian action, especially since the World Humanitarian Summit and Grand Bargain agreement. But evidence suggests that these commitments are not always translated into reality. Why is this?” In this episode, Ed explores the intersection between collective ambitions and individual agency within the leadership space and looks at some of the factors that systematically undermine collective leadership in the system. Ed Schenkenberg is the Executive Director of HERE, an independent think-tank founded in 2014 that looks at the gap between policy and humanitarian practice. HERE deliver reports and studies, which aim to influence policy, fuel debate and dialogue, and change behaviour. Ed brings 22 years of experience in humanitarian affairs. He has worked as Executive Director with DARA, a Madrid based humanitarian research and evaluation organisation, and ICVA, the Geneva-based humanitarian NGO network. Ed’s special interests include issues such as humanitarian principles and standards, coordination, and protection.