Episode 007: Applying the Art of Diplomacy to Business

Sep 6, 2021

43:32

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Welcome to another episode of The Thinking Leader podcast, brought to you by Red Team Thinking. In this episode, Bryce Hoffman talks to former diplomat and executive Dr. David Landsman, OBE, about the lessons business leaders can learn from the world of diplomacy.

David served as British Ambassador to Greece and Albania before transitioning to business, first as a senior executive with De La Rue plc, later as executive director of Tata Limited, the Indian conglomerate’s European subsidiary. He continues to share his knowledge and expertise as a strategic advisor, writer, and speaker on corporate strategy, (geo)politics, and reputation. David is the chairman of Cerebra Global Strategy and the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, director of Digital Cognate, advises for The India Business Group, and is a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School.

Top 10 Takeaways:

[04:00] The most important skill for diplomats is listening to other people and trying to understand their perspective.

[06:18] Go and see things for yourself; don’t rely on subordinates to tell you what’s going on.

[12:31] Cultivate “the diplomat’s mindset.”

[18:37] Don’t just do something, sit there!

[25:38] Everybody is motivated by something, so incentives matter.

[27:51] How Tata made ethics a priority in business.

[29:22] Using clear messaging to establish priorities.

[31:35] How Alan Mulally used messaging and incentives to save Ford.

[36:51] Sending the wrong signal is very easy.

[38:18] Don’t automatically assume the other guy is mad or bad.

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