Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice stood toe to toe with dictators, counseled presidents, and managed to find common ground on issues that still polarize us today. Sit down with two legendary secretaries of state as they reveal how to build bridges, hold boundaries, and apply history’s lessons to everyday challenges. The class presents an intimate portrait of the late Dr. Albright’s legacy for the next generation.

Syllabus

Prologue

Secretary Rice provides context and background information for her joint class on diplomacy with the late Secretary Albright.

Meet Your Instructors: Madeleine Albright & Condoleezza Rice

Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice discuss their personal backstories and shared history that led them to become the first woman and first African American woman secretaries of state.

Understanding Diplomacy

Secretary Albright shares her billiards analogy for diplomacy, Secretary Rice breaks down the mechanics of U.S. foreign policy, and both share their views on America’s role in the world.

Traits of a Good Diplomat

The secretaries reveal the qualities that all good diplomats should have—whether pursuing a career in diplomacy or just looking to incorporate diplomatic skills into everyday life.

Diplomacy Primer: Cold War and NATO

The five decades following World War II provide some of the greatest examples of modern diplomacy. From the Cold War to the expansion of NATO, the secretaries take you through the history, achievements, and lessons from this critical period.

A Diplomat’s Toolbox

Secretary Albright outlines the four strategic tools available to foreign-policy practitioners, and how the Kosovo war was a case study in using them.

Building Relationships

Secretaries Albright and Rice discuss why developing relationships is a crucial diplomatic skill and share humorous anecdotes from their best relationship-building moments throughout the years.

Reconciling Differences and Disagreements

Secretaries Albright and Rice teach the importance of respecting versus tolerating differences, the dangers of “groupthink,” and how to work civilly with people who disagree.

Navigating Personalities

The interpersonal skills required for diplomacy go beyond relationship-building. In this lesson, the secretaries share stories of dealing with challenging global figures and offer tips for what to do when you are offended or caught off guard.

Being the First

Secretaries Albright and Rice share their advice for being different and becoming a trailblazer. They also go deeper into how their childhoods shaped their worldviews.

Building a Trusted Team

Drawing on her leadership experience inside and outside of government, Secretary Rice gives practical advice for assembling and structuring teams you can trust.

Leading Your Team

Secretary Rice breaks down the three essential elements of leadership. She also shares tips for delegating, earning trust, and dealing with dissent when leading a team.

Rubrics for Decision Making

Secretaries Albright and Rice lay out the different frameworks they used when considering foreign policy and the decisions that needed to be made.

Learning From Failed Decisions

Everyone makes bad decisions. Secretary Albright discusses what went wrong in Rwanda, and her regrets about the situation. Secretary Rice shares her mistakes on 9/11 and Iraq, and offers advice on how to grow from failure.

Managing Crises

Secretary Rice dives deep into the problem-solving behind tackling Africa’s HIV/AIDS pandemic. She also shares a personal story that exemplifies the importance of approaching crises with your instincts and personal belief system in mind.

Read My Pins: Stories of Jewelry Box Diplomacy

Secretary Albright became well known for sending messages with her myriad brooches. She shares the origin story of this novel diplomatic tool and anecdotes behind some of her most famous pins.