BRUXHILDA KITO “LEAD Program is a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity, Earn it!”

By Rudina Hoxha

Short Bio: Bruxhilda Kito, is a former Commando of the Armed Forces awarded with a Medal for “Special Services”. She has graduated from the Engineering Faculty and holds an Advanced Master Degree on International Relations from University of Tirana. Mrs. Kito holds numerous trainings from the Department of Defense on “Defense Human Resources Management”, the Hague Academy in the Netherlands and the Brussels Center for Creative Leadership” CCL. She started her career as the Chief Administrator with the Office of the Commando Chief Commander where she served for 5 years holding also the Rank of Special Forces/Commando. Her career has advanced in various positions within the Ministry of Defense, at the NATO Registry Office in which she was specialized and certified for the procedures on NATO classified information. Following this important position, she was promoted to the position of Chief Protocol of Chief of Defense of the Armed Forces of Albania. In 2009, she was in the position of the Counselor of the Head of Tax Department. In 2015 she joined LEAD Albania through which she was positioned to serve as the Advisor for Parliament Relations, Protocol and Diplomatic Coordination of the Minister of Interior, a role she was also offered by the institution after the program and that she held until 2019. From 2020 to date, she serves as Chief of Risk and Analysis at the State Technical Secretariat – Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

Bruxhilda Kito of LEAD Program Albania Cohort 3 comes to TRAILBLAZING MAGAZINE with a detailed explanation of her journey full of achievements, challenges, ambitions and happiness. She has worked from one ministry to the other growing herself and preparing her for many challenges to come. For her, LEAD Albania Program is a School of Life. “LEAD Albania has been a Lighthouse for me, and without any shadow of doubt it has been the best choice to certify the professionalism, talent and the experience in this direction,” she says in this exclusive interview, adding “It is an opportunity which is gained based on merit, to work in high instances of state institutions giving a unique chance to directly contribute in the institutional history of my country.”

12 years of experience dealing with security, diplomatic and economic procedures. Could you explain your role in the governmental structures at length?

Security, diplomacy and economy are three words, which in a separated fashion, convey simple mechanical chain of work but when interlinked into processes together, they are more than that. They are an intrinsic unique concept and approach of work where each of the elements is naturally linked with the other. It is a symbiosis which puts in motion complex processes with a huge administrative and civic impact.

My experience started with the Armed Forces, one of the most impactful “academies of life” where I learned discipline, hierarchy, diligence and challenges in the complex decisionmaking processes.

The Years 2006-2009 were the years during which Albania finalized its NATO Membership steps. Following Albania’s pledge in the counterterrorism Alliance and its contribution with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Special Forces and Commando Forces were an ultimate priority of the NATO membership action plan. During these intensive years of my professional work, I dealt with 12 plus international peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chad, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

That was a period of high activity in terms of operational and diplomatic nature, an unforgettable period of time in which I absorbed, learned and witnessed history in the making and was happy to be part of the process.

It is very simple when one sees great ceremonies or speeches happening. But the backstage is way more complicated. What happens in public if mistakes are

made in preparation? What is the impact of a non-voluntary faux pas? What I want to emphasize with these questions is the pride and diligence that work offered to me. Surely I was valued with various certificates of excellence as “Elite Commando 08” by

the US Team “General DYNAMICS” of the US Special Forces.

Following this amazing experience, my career path continued with the Ministry of Defense, at the NATO Registry Office, an office managing classified information. I was selected, trained and certified to administer and safeguarding of classified information

Following this important step, I was promoted at the Protocol Office, International Relations Directorate, Ministry of Defense in which I was in charge of the Diplomatic Protocol of the Ministry of Defense and Chief of Defense, a task which rounded the decade at the political-military realm (2005-2015)

And then after a decade, what happened? One might ask. Well, I am quoting here Gerald R. Ford “Never be satisfied with less than your very best effort. If you strive for the top and miss, you’ll still ‘beat the

pack” which has always accompanied me throughout my path. This is how I always have the inner urge to start anew, a more stable path than the one already established, something beyond the old routine that keeps one in limbo. The path I traversed so far was not entirely what I wanted. I wanted to challenge myself.

By chance I read the AADF call on Lead Albania and I gave it a long thought, this is why I put forward my application in the last hours, after being convinced that this was the path I was looking forward for new professional impulses. I put my step forward and I won the first challenge of being selected. In 2015 I was selected to participate in the programme by joining the Ministry of Interior in the position of the Advisor for Protocol and Diplomatic Coordination

The State and Diplomatic Protocol pertains to the most organizes discipline when it comes to rules of legal, ethical and also philosophical nature in the works of the State. This is the nutshell of what I learned throughout this important time of my professional path. As an Advisor for Protocol, I was in charge of the vast protocol of the Minister, official ceremonial, diplomatic relations of the Minister’s Cabinet and the foreign representation of the Ministry of Interior abroad. This intensive experience of such an official profile was a battle, and I am not exaggerating here. Every day one explores unknown waters but with the proper discipline and power of will one take the ship in its harbor.

I am proud we have impacted positively the organization and the political processes happening at the time, along with the huge structures of the MoI such as the Albanian State Police, the National Guard and so further. The important reforms started then are now giving results and I am very happy to see it happening and tell to myself “I was there, I contributed”

Following this important station of my career I was called to contribute in the Cabinet of the General Director of Taxes as an Advisor on Investigative Oversight. It was a position naturally linked to my previous position although this position was more focused on the work on the ground by overseeing the structures.

For the time being I am working for the Risk Analysis Section at the State Technical and Industrial Inspectorate, a subordinate structure of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy. It is a type of work dealing with more concrete matters, something closer to my engineering studies, professionally satisfying.

2. So how did you get on these projects? Were you able to select the projects or were you assigned to them? How pivotal was the LEAD Albania Program in this aspect?

This was my path throughout which I walked through in the professional realm. The experience and engagement from one profile to the other is not a spontaneous one. I believe that all what came through was the result of my professional completion which is combined with the passion for Diplomacy and International Relations.

LEAD Albania has been a Lighthouse for me, and without any shadow of doubt it has been the best choice to certify the professionalism, talent and the experience in this direction. It is an opportunity which is gained based on merit, to work in high instances of state institutions giving a unique chance to directly contribute in the institutional history of my country. This programme has served as a bridge of trust between my administrative experience and natural talent to be efficient and achieving success in the highest ranks of work.

3. How much did the LEAD Albania Program help you in streamlining knowledge for the implementing international relations, principles and standards as well as developing your relevant skills and knowhow?

The programme has been a strong pinnacle not only on the academic aspect but also in strengthening my professionalism adding here the defining role at the personal aspect. The programme has important training components delivered in Albania and abroad out of which I distinguish the trainings delivered by the “Center for Creative Leadership” in Brussels which taught me many things about my own self, I realized that human behavior elements and those little details of the work routine and staff management require refined skills. The best experience of this programme is the alternation of theory and practice, concrete meetings with high level dignitaries, officials and diplomatic staff, Ministers and important figures of the public life.

Topics delivered in seminars such as EU integration, public policies, decision making, foreign policy, security policy, development of social competencies

and leadership skills have been very important in improving my overall knowledge on the International Relations realm.

4. What do you remember most from this Program and why do you think you were a fit?

I cannot actually forget any of the moment of this programme and it would need a book to tell everything. I remember vividly the days we were having “never enough’ of the experience, talks and exchanges with my fellow students of Lead 3, a colorful group of people just like the perfect but different pieces of the puzzle, but with one common aim, Leading the Future, the final picture, a picture that always creates pride and emotion.

As much as it is difficult to put together young professionals of different ambitions, power of will, when it comes to put the energies into the leading future of Albania, the job is very easy. This is why I am convinced that this programme is a gem which gathers all this energy and assets and puts them to work with maximum seriousness. I am certain that I heard the bells ringing in the right moment and never afraid of the challenges I never put preliminary limits to my path; I can proudly say that I am honored to have engraved this great experience in my biography and professional path.

5. How well did the LEAD Albania Program merge theory with practice in your job?

The essence of this programme is to improve the efficiency of the way a

fellowship/a one year opportunity can turn into a sustainable contribution for the country. It’s a unique platform for personal advancement through learning the best practices on skills development and increasing the capacities through activities, presentations by also enhancing the potential of information analysis and thus combining theory and practice.

Experience is of course the key element of this opportunity, experiencing the new, experiencing the teamwork, new realms; it also gives the possibility to make a clear distinction between the possibilities stemming from practice and theory. The self-actualization which comes as a result of this process from bottom to the upper levels of understanding is crucial because it gives a sense of understanding the dynamics in the exact moments that they are happening.

Thence, the harmonization of practical work with theory was not only necessary to improve my work efficiency but also had a positive impact on my self-esteem and being more able to promote my work and personal exploration.

6. What would you tell other students if they were considering applying for the LEAD Albania Program? Why is trying worth it?

This program is a “School of Life.” If you are thinking about embarking into an exciting new experience, then you should put this step forward and apply. It is a great investment both on the personal and professional level. If you aspire to be part of the professional network of the Albanian youth, you will

have the opportunity to create bridges of communication and will walk through new paths which you didn’t have the chance to explore so far.

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, earn it! I had the chance to tell my story to the next generation of Lead Albania, with actions throughout the work with the administration by combining theory and practice. I was their trainer on three modules pertaining to Official Protocol, Diplomatic Protocol, Official Ethics.

7. Beyond your work, what do you do that would be of interest to our readers?

A process which is now a lifestyle for me is cultivation of knowledge. It has to do with earned experiences and the ones needed to be earned in order to increase performance. In simple words, the neverending process of learning, of absorbing the best elements in a work experience but not only there. It is also important in the social, cultural sphere as well. Throughout this process we meet Luck. And do you know what I call luck? It is that very crossroad in which the power of will meets the passion.

What I now do with passion is focusing the energies towards politics and giving technical expertise in organizational matters. I do this with Qemal Stafa Foundation in which I am in charge for the Political Academy, targeting youth with distinct civic engagements in order to prepare them for future leaders.

Communication, training and ambition are the basic pillars and criteria upon which the candidates are selected and trained. The Foundation has a strong international support and I apply there all the leadership skills learned previously with Lead Albania.