The world’s leaders use diplomacy to pursue their foreign policy priorities. Diplomacy shapes the international landscape we know today – it’s how the United Nations works, how countries form or break intergovernmental alliances, and how countries communicate with each other.
The practice of diplomatic exchanges aims to maximise the position and power of different countries without risking hostility or retaliation. It usually involves international dialogue and negotiation, primarily carried out by accredited envoys and politicians. Diplomacy may also involve coercive threat of economic or other punitive measures and demonstrations of military force.
Great diplomats listen and truly understand the people and issues that their colleagues from other states are discussing. They work all day and night, turning every event into a useful diplomatic engagement—every meal, cocktail party, sports game, sight-seeing excursion, or official meeting. When they do speak, they have a laundry list of carefully honed talking points and are able to pick and choose the moments in discussions that would most benefit their nation.
In the past, ambassadors and other high-ranking diplomats were sent to their hosts on long assignments. These individuals were accompanied by a host of staff who were often trained in espionage and were tasked with keeping information secret. Today, the majority of diplomats are career professionals who are sent to their host countries on short-term assignments. The specialized skillset required to excel in diplomacy is one of the reasons the world’s best diplomats are so coveted.