Editorial by Managing Director Alexander De Beir
Diplomacy and determination, key to self-accomplishment
The least that can be said is that our idea of diplomacy between countries has been somewhat dented recently. Certain thunderous interventions by ambassadors have been poorly received by various national governments.
In this respect, it is interesting to look at the synonyms attributed to the term: address, circumspection, dexterity, tact, interpersonal skills, finesse, flexibility.
In everyday language, diplomacy refers to the habits and customs we use to ensure that the interests we defend are respected or even adhered to through tact and decency.
None of the adjectives mentioned above fetters the principle of determination. It’s all a question of attitude. Combining the two allows you to rise above the fray and the turpitudes of everyday life. In short, it helps you move things forward.
If we look at the very origin of the term diplomat, we learn that it derives from the word diploma. This word comes from Greek and means an official document or safe-conduct folded in half. Determination, on its side, originally corresponds to the Latin term for setting limits.
These two talents take on their full meaning when applied to the Interim Manager. He must interfere with necessary agility in a corporate culture. He must also show determination to know the objectives he wishes and thinks he can achieve in a time which is… determined.
Zero sum, zero winners
Unfortunately, this practice is now undermined in a geopolitical context. This context seems more than ever intertwined with the economic sphere. The illusion of the zero-sum game reigns: a head-on confrontation that would inevitably lead to a winner and a loser.
Today more than ever, these so-called “zero-sum games” only create two camps of losers. This is my conviction. However, it is much more productive, humanly and economically, to win by making the other win. This is the luck of the Interim Manager.
The Interim Manager, by definition a “passer-by,” does not have to worry about the sustainability of his position. He has no interest in overshadowing or harming the staff of the company that employs him temporarily. He has no personal goals that would require this.
The following article looks at some proven tactics of corporate diplomacy. It also lists some of history’s great diplomats and their ability to move the world or preserve its stability with determination.
Happy reading!
