Ambassador Pitteloud On Diplomacy, Influence, and Trust - Chief Influencer - Episode # 062

Chief Influencer

Host Anthony Shop interviews the Honorable Jacques Pitteloud, Switzerland's Ambassador to the United States. Since his appointment in 2019, Ambassador Pitteloud has leveraged his extensive Foreign Service career since 1987, serving in diverse locations such as Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Uganda.

Pitteloud passionately discusses his mission to redefine perceptions of Switzerland. He underscores the robust economic and technological bonds between Switzerland and the U.S., underscoring the need to tailor communications for different cultural contexts.

Addressing the evolving landscape of diplomacy, Pitteloud highlights his innovative use of social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube to foster engagement and transparency. Drawing from his leadership experience across organizations of varying scales, he advocates for public education as a tool against misinformation, emphasizing the importance of trust in leadership.

Takeaways:

• Embrace Social Media: Leaders should be willing to leverage social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to communicate their messages effectively. While there's a risk, approaching it with positivity and humor can significantly enhance engagement and brand image.
• Adapt Communication Style: It is crucial to understand and adapt to different communication styles based on cultural and linguistic contexts. Tailoring your message to fit the audience's expectations can build stronger connections and trust.
• Trust Your Team: Building trust within your team is essential. Start by assuming that your team members are competent and letting them do their jobs. Micromanaging can stifle creativity and productivity.
• Stay Educated: Continuous learning is vital for effective leadership. Regularly reading and staying informed about industry trends, history, and current events can provide a deeper understanding and better decision-making.
• Balance Personal and Professional Brands: Authenticity in leadership can be enhanced by blending personal passions and professional responsibilities wisely. Sharing personal interests or hobbies can make leaders more relatable and approachable.
• Address Misinformation Strategically: Given the rise of misinformation, it is vital to educate your audience and provide well-analyzed, contextually rich information. Immediate responses are less valuable than meaningful interpretations of events.
• Lead with Humor and Positivity: Humor and positivity in communication can make leaders more approachable and their messages more memorable. Self-deprecating humor, in particular, helps create a connection without offending others.

Quote of the Show:

• "There are so many embassies, so many countries vying for two minutes of attention from decision-makers. How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd? If social media is a means to achieve that, as long as it remains nice, decent, and sometimes even funny— why not? So, we made the video, and suddenly it was reaching hundreds of thousands. There were a few other instances, and then there was the Instagram thing. On We Are The Embassy of Switzerland, which I never thought would reach the 3.4 million mark. I mean, if Kim Kardashian needs some paying advice from me, she can call me."

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacques-pitteloud-83621a10/
• Website: https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/de/home.html

Shout Outs:

• Marcellus Rolle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcellus-rolle-116a432/
• Swiss Impact USA: https://swissimpactusa.com/
• Washington Post Article Featuring Ambassador Pitteloud’s Bird Painting: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/03/painted-bunting-great-falls-bird-watchers/
• Switzerland's (not Sweden's) Impact in the United States Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz_5V6DyEdM&t=9s
• Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/