[January 23, 2014] Senior leadership requires the special skills inherent in what is referred to as “diplomacy.” This means that senior executive leaders have the ability to advance important ideas and to do so with tact and decorum.
For the purposes of this article, diplomacy is practiced at the organizational level. I’ll leave statesmanship for another time. A successful senior leader, therefore, advances ideas by appealing to other senior leaders, even downwards to the lowest worker. They have the skills to engage anyone. The purpose would be to gain some advantage for their organization.
I often emphasize how senior leaders should be as comfortable talking (debating, negotiating) to the president of a large company as talking with one of their laborers – convincing anyone of them the value of an idea that should be advanced. When everyone is convinced of a great idea, success will naturally follow.
Diplomacy therefore requires the ability to be a leader of change without eliciting overly negative (or positive) emotions. This requires emotional strength, some sensitivity, and a good understanding of people. Exceptional people skills are necessary.
Here are some diplomatically required skills:
- Decisiveness: the ability to see and the authority to seize opportunities.
- Wisdom: knowledge of history and of cultures, how that might influence others, and know yourself and those who oppose you.
- Intelligence: ability to quickly learn key facts and ideas, to analyze information, and assess risk.
- Build Bridges: manage conflict and establish alliances, friendships, and networks.
- Politeness: good manners and good listening, respect for others, direct engagement.
- A Tough Skin: reign in overt passions and be capable of receiving criticism without showing emotion and ideally without feeling personally attacked.
- Maintain Credibility and Deliver: meet expectations, play by the rules (don’t cheat), don’t over promise, and certainly keep your promises.
While this is certainly not a complete list, it is a list of those skills most important for a senior leader who practices diplomacy. The difficulty is maintaining a professional persona of diplomacy when in conflict with strong personalities. This is what separates the good leader from the great.