THE DIPLOMAT WITHIN: LEADING WITH UNITY IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD

Abstract

The authors, who have varied and extensive experience in areas such as business and law, note that their “article leverages our collective experiences worldwide as leaders, lecturers, coaches, and speakers, that underscore the increasingly urgent need for diplomacy skills in everyday human interactions.” They further discuss the importance of diplomacy and diplomatic skills in modern workplaces. The authors “introduce the following three-tiered Personal – Organizational - External Diplomacy Framework, inspired by modern diplomatic thought. It cuts through dense literature on diplomacy and provides a navigational tool on how to add diplomacy skills into the organization’s DNA to nurture peaceful coexistence and achievement of goals, from interpersonal to global engagements.” They discuss three steps in detail, which in their words are (1) Mastering Personal Diplomacy, (2) Developing Organizational Diplomacy, (3) Developing External Diplomacy. For instance, core skills in step 1 are, in their words, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, systems thinking, positive regard for others, effective communication, and trust building skills. Step 2 includes, in their words, Leadership Diplomatic Composure, Psychological Safety and Performance, Learning and Development, Engagement and Dialogue, Diversity and Teamwork, and Strategic Implementation. Step 3 includes, in their words, Engagement with External Stakeholders, Leadership in Global Challenges, and Public Diplomacy and Policy Advocacy.