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Leadership: Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy
A British diplomat shares lessons on leadership gained over his expansive career.
Simon McDonald argues that we should reflect on the nature and strategies of leadership before entering a leadership role, and we should look to examples of others to help us in shaping our own approaches.
Over nearly four decades in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service, McDonald worked for four permanent under-secretaries and a dozen senior ambassadors before becoming a permanent under-secretary himself and leading the Service—which has over 14,000 staff members in 270 countries—for five years. He also worked directly for six foreign secretaries and under five prime ministers. Observing these people undertaking such important and difficult work, McDonald saw the behaviors which helped them achieve their objectives, as well as those which hindered them.
In this book, McDonald synthesizes the skills he’s learned through his many years working in diplomacy, offering an insightful contribution amid heightening debates over the leadership of the United Kingdom. Considering the future of British leadership, he makes a case for the reform of the monarchy, the cabinet, civil service, and, in particular, the House of Lords, of which he has been a member since 2021.
Simon McDonald argues that we should reflect on the nature and strategies of leadership before entering a leadership role, and we should look to examples of others to help us in shaping our own approaches.
Over nearly four decades in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service, McDonald worked for four permanent under-secretaries and a dozen senior ambassadors before becoming a permanent under-secretary himself and leading the Service—which has over 14,000 staff members in 270 countries—for five years. He also worked directly for six foreign secretaries and under five prime ministers. Observing these people undertaking such important and difficult work, McDonald saw the behaviors which helped them achieve their objectives, as well as those which hindered them.
In this book, McDonald synthesizes the skills he’s learned through his many years working in diplomacy, offering an insightful contribution amid heightening debates over the leadership of the United Kingdom. Considering the future of British leadership, he makes a case for the reform of the monarchy, the cabinet, civil service, and, in particular, the House of Lords, of which he has been a member since 2021.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Published March 22, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 4, 2022
The proposal regarding reforming the House of Lords (eighteen pages) is incredibly dull. Also, Manchester United DO NOT play in Salford.
December 22, 2022
When I joined the FCO, I chewed my way through Tom Fletcher’s ‘The Naked Diplomat’ at pace. It was exciting to see my work and workplace on the pages of a book. Simon does a better job here. He doesn’t allow his ego to define what is important - tricky given his new public profile and the way in which his tenure ended.
This book contains compelling visions for leadership and reform. It is startling that much of Simon’s vision for the House of Lords can be found in the review Gordon Brown recently conducted for the Labour Party. And it is vindicating to find someone with such experience and intellect acting for the BBC.
At times this book suffers from forgetting it’s about vision and future, and not history. What start as useful moments of context meander into 5 page detailed histories most won’t find as powerful as Simon the historian.
This book contains compelling visions for leadership and reform. It is startling that much of Simon’s vision for the House of Lords can be found in the review Gordon Brown recently conducted for the Labour Party. And it is vindicating to find someone with such experience and intellect acting for the BBC.
At times this book suffers from forgetting it’s about vision and future, and not history. What start as useful moments of context meander into 5 page detailed histories most won’t find as powerful as Simon the historian.
December 22, 2022
An enjoyable memoir of the most recent head of the FCDO. More to be enjoyed as an autobiographical piece of work that is sprinkled with reflections on leadership, rather than a carefully structured treatise on effective leadership skills.
July 23, 2024
Not as articulate & entertaining as he is in person(based on seeing him at the Buxton International book festival last week)but an interesting & informative 📚
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews