Susan Rice, former US Ambassador to the UN and National Security Advisor, shares her insights on the power of candid communication. She emphasizes the importance of being direct and encourages mutual honesty in relationships. Rice discusses the challenges of negotiating in high-stakes environments and the need for compassion in leadership. She also reflects on handling political differences within family dynamics, highlighting how love can bridge divides, and shares qualities that define effective communicators.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Effective Leadership
Find the best people for your team and give them space to excel.
Set a vision, demonstrate passion, and value your team members' contributions.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Human-Centered Leadership
Support your team's personal lives, allowing flexibility when family needs arise.
Prioritize their well-being to foster a supportive environment and boost morale.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Direct Feedback
Be direct and clear in your feedback, avoiding passive-aggressive behavior.
Address issues promptly, offering specific guidance for improvement.
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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.
Navigators know the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In charting a course through communication, Susan Rice says the best route is often the most direct.
Throughout her career at the forefront of American diplomacy and foreign policy, Rice has been no stranger to high-stakes situations that hinge on clear and candid communication. As she says, “I'm very direct. I don't believe in playing games, going around people, and being passive-aggressive. I shoot straight.”
Rice graduated from Stanford University in 1986 and served as the US Ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 and the National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017. She is currently the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow. Rice is the author of Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For.
But beyond being direct herself, Rice knows the value of allowing others to be direct with her. “If you give it, you got to be able to take it,” she says. “I've benefited at various stages of my career from colleagues who've been kind enough to give me the hard truths or the tough love to enable me to be better and help me to recognize where I'm falling short.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Rice and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to foster personal and professional relationships where candidness can thrive — even when communicating with those we don’t agree with.
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques 