The authors, Nik Gowing and Chris Langdon, have interviewed 60 leaders from a variety of sectors – corporate, government, and NGO – to find out how they are coping with a world where unimaginable events come thick and fast. One of their conclusions is that conformity – a good quality for career progression – destroys vision. If they are to survive, leaders are going to have to surround themselves with a much more diverse set of advisers, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and training.
Former ambassador Tom Fletcher is a techno-optimist, believing that diplomacy can thrive in the age of the smartphone. As the leader of an internal review into how the British Foreign Office should focus its resources, he offers some insights into the future of the diplomatic trade.
