Business Diplomat: Power, Responsibly Used

Business competition is often described in the language of winning and losing. In this part of its interview series, Business Diplomat presents the closing section of an assessment by Raoul Delcorde, retired Ambassador of Belgium, Ph.D. in political science and Guest Professor at UCLouvain. After setting out five principles, he explains what they add up to, and in doing so offers a different definition of strength.

The purpose of the platform

First observation: the purpose of the platform
The assessment states what the platform should ultimately do:
“The platform should ultimately teach business professionals how to exercise power responsibly.”
The word “power” is used without embarrassment. Business leaders hold power: over employees, suppliers, markets and sometimes policy. The question is how it is used. “Responsibly” does not mean weakly. It means with awareness of consequences and of the other parties who live with them.

A new measure of strength

Second observation: a new measure of strength
The next sentence offers a definition:
“The strongest negotiator is not necessarily the one who obtains the most today, but the one who achieves an outcome while leaving the other party willing—and able—to work with him tomorrow.”
The sentence deserves a slow reading. It does not say that the strongest negotiator achieves little. It says that he achieves an outcome. But the measure of strength is extended to include the state of the relationship afterwards. Two conditions are named: the other party must be “willing” and “able”. Willing is about attitude; able is about capacity. A counterpart who has been squeezed so hard that they cannot deliver on what was agreed is a poor result even if the terms look excellent. A counterpart who can deliver but has been humiliated will not want to try again. Both are failures.

Not a softer competition

Third observation: not a softer competition
The assessment ends by anticipating an objection:
“In that sense, diplomatic discipline is not about making business less competitive; it is about making competition more intelligent, sustainable and strategic.”
The three adjectives answer three concerns. “Intelligent” means competition based on understanding the other side, not on force alone. “Sustainable” means competition that can continue without destroying the market or the relationships it depends on. “Strategic” means competition that looks beyond the immediate transaction. The sentence reassures businesspeople that they are not being asked to give up ambition. They are being asked to pursue it more skilfully.

The logic of the assessment

The logic of the assessment
The closing passage is a short argument in three steps. The platform should teach responsible use of power. Responsible use is measured by the position in which an outcome leaves the other party. And this measure is a strengthening of competition, not a weakening. The structure moves from aim to standard to defence.

The role of Business Diplomat

The role of Business Diplomat
The platform’s mission is to give young people experience, bring a diplomatic order to the business world, and benefit states by revitalising the economy. A business community that competes intelligently and sustainably supports all three parts of that mission. Young professionals who learn to leave counterparts “willing and able” build networks that last, and their companies gain partners they can rely on. Business Diplomat can show that diplomatic discipline is a source of advantage, not a limit on it.

Conclusion
Diplomatic discipline teaches the responsible exercise of power. Its measure of success is an outcome that leaves the other party willing and able to cooperate tomorrow. It does not make business less competitive; it makes competition more intelligent, sustainable and strategic. Business Diplomat aims to give young business professionals that understanding.