On page 116 of the Diplomatic Planner, you are given a quiz to complete called the “Emotional Workout” to help you assess your mental resilience. People with high emotional intelligence are effective at resolving conflict with strong rapport skills. Where do you fall?

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In Chapter 3 of the Diplomatic Planner, we go through exercises to recognise difficult people that are in your life and how to manage toxic relationships. When it comes to creating harmony at work, sometimes we have no choice but to work with and for people who do not align with our personal ethics, way of doing things, or way of thinking. That is why we recommend the book “Dangerous Personalities” by Joe Navarro.

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As diplomats, we will be placed in many tense situation and putting on a poker face may be difficult. You may wake up feeling pretty rotten and you’re taking all of these negative emotions with you at work, into your job and into your relationship. Work through Chapter Three of your Diplomatic Planner to learn more about enhancing your emotional intelligence.

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Ego and arrogance is such a big disease in the field of international relations. It is surprising how many people you will meet in this industry who are the complete opposite of humble. As part of your emotional intelligence training, we recommend the book “Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday.

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It takes so much energy to be negative, critical and a bad team player. It leads to a toxic environment and you start to come up with avoidance strategies so that you never have to speak to that person again. Work through Chapter Three of your Diplomatic Planner to learn more about enhancing your emotional intelligence.

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Our emotions triggers reaction and sometimes that can sabotage our professionalism under high stakes politics and diplomacy. This short podcast gives you a quick overview on how to use emotional intelligence to our advantage. Work through Chapter Three of your Diplomatic Planner to learn more about enhancing your emotional intelligence.

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A book written by entrepreneur Mark Manson tackles issues of what it actually means to be successful against a career backdrop. This is why we recommend the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life” by Mark Manson.

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Humans Rights is one of the most important career paths to take in this modern age. In Chapter Two of the “Diplomatic Planner”, you will find a list of career areas you can specialise in, which proves to show how vast international relations really is.

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When looking into the world of international relations, it is hard to ignore how the world has changed. We are no longer confined to borders of our birth place. As a very interesting case study on the mobilisation of people, trade and diplomacy, we recommend the book “China’s Second Continent: How a Million Migrants are Building a New Empire in Africa” by Howard French.

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Michael Soussan blew the whistle about his experience working in the UN Food for Oil Programme. His account is damning to the systematic corruption of international relations, and that is why we recommend you read “Backstabbing for Beginners: My Crash Course in International Diplomacy” by Michael Soussan.

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If there is one man who built his name off the international relations brand well, it is Parag Khanna - a global citizen in action, born in India and a resident of Singapore who has lived in more than 4 countries in his lifetime. To help you get into the mindset of this very complex field, we recommend the book “How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance” by Parag Khanna.

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Issues around Islamophobia is a big topic to keep our eyes on. Not only for the development of government policies are created, but also for the fear of how such policies are affected at grassroots level. To help bring these issues to life, we recommend the book “Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS” by Joby Warrick.

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A career in defence and security can give you a real purpose, being on the front line and defending your national security on top secret priority that the general public will never learn about.

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International relations is filled with hard choices we have to make, particularly when it comes to top level management. The stakes are high and the wrong choices could end up costing lives. To help you get your mind set in the world of international relations and get to grips to skills required in the fast-changing modern world, we recommend the book “Hard Choices” written by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Knowing why you want to do what you want to do is so important in creating a solid foundation for yourself. By thinking at a very early stage why you have decided to take a particular career decision, you are reminded of your purpose and motivation.

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There are many challenges in international health governance, but a career in this growing field can provide a wonderfully rewarding path for any international relations enthusiast. In Chapter Two of the “Diplomatic Planner”, you will find a list of career areas you can specialise in, which proves to show how vast international relations really is.

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“Soldier Spy” is a raw and explosive memoir about the life of an M-15 agent working as a Surveillance Officer for the United Kingdom. It is one of the first true story books about what it is really like to work for one of the most elite and prestigious intelligence agencies in the world and Tom Marcus doesn’t hold back.

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We all have conscious and subconscious motivations into our calling in life. For some, the urge to help people is greater than others but does this innate empathy and humanness come at a cost. To help provide some balance and insight to some of these difficult and challenging ethical questions, we recommend the book “Strangers Drowning: Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and Overpowering Urge to Help” by Larissa MacFarquhar.

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What is the different between ego and ambition, and how can we ensure that we drive forward without pulling people back? This short podcast gives you a quick overview on lessons learned from diplomats. Work through Chapter Three of your Diplomatic Planner to learn more about enhancing your emotional intelligence.

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