Episode 307: Why the Best Leaders Think Like Diplomats (and Most Don’t). episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 26, 2026 · 35 MIN

Episode 307: Why the Best Leaders Think Like Diplomats (and Most Don’t).

from Developing The Leader Within Podcast · host Enrique Acosta Gonzalez

In this insightful episode of the Developing the Leader Within Podcast, we are joined by Raquel García, a seasoned senior policy developer with a wealth of experience in cyber policy and defense. Raquel discusses the crucial diplomatic skills that leaders need in 2026 to influence outcomes without formal authority, emphasizing the importance of shifting from a command mindset to one of influence and negotiation.Raquel shares her unique perspective on how personal experiences and cultural backgrounds shape leadership approaches, highlighting the need for leaders to build coalitions and foster relationships across various sectors. She dives into the art of effective communication, explaining how to translate complex policies into actionable strategies while maintaining trust and strategic intent.Throughout the conversation, Raquel emphasizes the significance of ethical decision-making and values-based leadership in policy development, especially in an era of information warfare. She advocates for creating a culture of open feedback and ethical dissent, allowing leaders to harness the insights of their teams to prevent tactical disasters.You will learn the following:1. The essential diplomatic skills leaders need to influence without authority. 04:272. How to translate complex policies into decisive action while maintaining strategic intent. 09:013. The importance of building coalitions and fostering relationships within organizations. 16:034. Strategies for embedding ethics into policy design and execution. 21:555. The mindset shift required to view policy as a roadmap rather than a constraint. 27:45To get in contact with Raquel: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquelgarciateranThis episode is sponsored by   Triad Leadership Solutions  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://triadleadershipsolutions.my.canva.site⁠⁠⁠Our podcast is sponsored by   The Global Trends MagazineWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gc-bl.org/global-trends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Outlier Project   Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theoutlierproject.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ascend MeditationsWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ascendmeditations.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chop AiWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chopai.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castle and Compass AdventuresWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠https://castle-and-compass-adventures.com⁠⁠⁠Bonefrog Coffee CompanyWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠https://bonefrogcoffee.com⁠⁠⁠Coupon code: DTLW BoomcasterWebsite: ⁠⁠https://www.boomcaster.com/⁠⁠Make sure to Catch us streaming on Roku and Amazon Fire TV on the Purpose Place Network.Also catch our Exclusive Members only content “Going Deeper Within” on the Lions Guide Academy.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lionsguide.com/gdw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this insightful episode of the Developing the Leader Within Podcast, we are joined by Raquel García, a seasoned senior policy developer with a wealth of experience in cyber policy and defense. Raquel discusses the crucial diplomatic skills that leaders need in 2026 to influence outcomes without formal authority, emphasizing the importance of shifting from a command mindset to one of influence and negotiation.Raquel shares her unique perspective on how personal experiences and cultural backgrounds shape leadership approaches, highlighting the need for leaders to build coalitions and foster relationships across various sectors. She dives into the art of effective communication, explaining how to translate complex policies into actionable strategies while maintaining trust and strategic intent.Throughout the conversation, Raquel emphasizes the significance of ethical decision-making and values-based leadership in policy development, especially in an era of information warfare. She advocates for creating a culture of open feedback and ethical dissent, allowing leaders to harness the insights of their teams to prevent tactical disasters.You will learn the following:1. The essential diplomatic skills leaders need to influence without authority. 04:272. How to translate complex policies into decisive action while maintaining strategic intent. 09:013. The importance of building coalitions and fostering relationships within organizations. 16:034. Strategies for embedding ethics into policy design and execution. 21:555. The mindset shift required to view policy as a roadmap rather than a constraint. 27:45To get in contact with Raquel: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquelgarciateranThis episode is sponsored by   Triad Leadership Solutions  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://triadleadershipsolutions.my.canva.site⁠⁠⁠Our podcast is sponsored by   The Global Trends MagazineWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gc-bl.org/global-trends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Outlier Project   Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theoutlierproject.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ascend MeditationsWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ascendmeditations.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chop AiWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chopai.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castle and Compass AdventuresWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠https://castle-and-compass-adventures.com⁠⁠⁠Bonefrog Coffee CompanyWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠https://bonefrogcoffee.com⁠⁠⁠Coupon code: DTLW BoomcasterWebsite: ⁠⁠https://www.boomcaster.com/⁠⁠Make sure to Catch us streaming on Roku and Amazon Fire TV on the Purpose Place Network.Also catch our Exclusive Members only content “Going Deeper Within” on the Lions Guide Academy.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lionsguide.com/gdw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

NOW PLAYING

Episode 307: Why the Best Leaders Think Like Diplomats (and Most Don’t).

0:00 35:00

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Developing The Leader Within Podcast?

This episode is 35 minutes long.

When was this Developing The Leader Within Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on January 26, 2026.

What is this episode about?

In this insightful episode of the Developing the Leader Within Podcast, we are joined by Raquel García, a seasoned senior policy developer with a wealth of experience in cyber policy and defense. Raquel discusses the crucial diplomatic skills that...

Can I download this Developing The Leader Within Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!