Susan Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor, shares her insights on diplomacy and leadership. She reflects on how her childhood of mediating family conflicts influenced her conflict resolution skills. Rice emphasizes the importance of separating behavior from the person and ensuring all voices are heard in decision-making processes. She discusses the need for humility and emotional intelligence in leadership, revealing how her experiences shaped her approach to navigating complex relationships in politics.
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Childhood Mediation
Susan Rice developed mediation skills as a child, intervening in her parents' frequent arguments.
This early experience shaped her comfort with conflict and honed her ability to handle disagreements.
insights INSIGHT
Resilience from Conflict
Early exposure to conflict made Rice resilient and unafraid of disagreements.
She learned to separate behavior from individuals, addressing issues directly while maintaining relationships.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Course Correction
Early in her career, Rice received critical feedback about her leadership style being too hard-charging.
She reflected on this and adjusted her approach, becoming more patient and inclusive.
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In 'Tough Love,' Susan Rice shares her personal story and professional experiences, offering insights into her time in the Clinton and Obama administrations. The book covers significant global events and challenges, including the Benghazi affair, while also exploring her personal journey as an African American woman in politics. Rice provides candid accounts of her roles and the lessons she learned along the way.
Susan Rice: Tough Love
Susan Rice served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations during President Barack Obama’s first term in office. She was later appointed by President Obama as National Security Advisor, a position she held until the end of his presidency.
Today she is the Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at the School of International Service at American University, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.
She is the author the New York Times bestseller Tough Love: My Story of Things Worth Fighting For*. In this conversation, Susan and I discuss how her upbringing shaped her skills at mediation, the course corrections she navigated in her career to get better, and how she ensured all perspectives were heard inside President Obama’s National Security Council meetings.
Key Points
Susan’s early experience mediating the arguments between her parents helped her develop resilience that would be useful later.
It’s helpful to separate the behavior from the person. Address inappropriate behavior, and keep it in context with the larger relationship.
“You can get a long way leading a team, even if many members of the team don’t actually agree with the direction you’re steering towards, if they feel that their advice, perspective, recommendations have truly been heard and appreciated.”
When facilitating a critical meeting, ensure the principal attendees receive reading points and preparation well in advance.
Humor, an iron fist, or a velvet glove are all useful tools at the right times. Experience helps you determine what’s best in the moment.
Wisdom from Susan’s dad: “You can’t let other people define you, for you.”
Resources Mentioned
Tough Love: My Story of Things Worth Fighting For* by Susan Rice
Book Notes
Download my highlights from Tough Love in PDF format (free membership required).
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