Importance of Training in Administrative Management and Leadership in Contemporary Diplomatic Formation

The essay stresses the importance of including administrative management and leadership training courses in the study programs of diplomatic academies. The author analyzes how and why some key concepts in the administrative sciences, like leadership or stress management, have to be transferred to the arena of diplomacy so as to modernize it and make it capable of dealing with big responsibilities such as an understanding of the functioning of the global economy, and participation in the design of public policies within its sphere of action. According to the author, contemporary diplomatic practice has shown that the modern diplomat has and exercises leadership capacity, and does not only carry out decisions made by political leaders. He highlights the fact that, appearances aside, diplomatic academies and management schools often share similar concerns and that some fields of administrative management may be enormously useful to diplomats: human resources management, organizational changes, and the organization of communications, among other things.