Best ADST Podcasts (2025)

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Amb. Harry Thomas: Straight Talk on Crisis Management, Career Progression, and the Joys and Challenges of Diplomatic Service 45:08

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3y ago45:08

45:08

As Director General of the Foreign Service and ambassador to three countries in three different bureaus (Philippines, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe), and having served in DC leadership positions on the 7th floor and White House, Amb. Thomas saw U.S. diplomacy from multiple perspectives. He reflects on crisis management, leadership, and career progressio…

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Amb. Liliana Ayalde reflects on mentorship, interagency collaboration, and how to improve the U.S. position in the Western Hemisphere 39:28

3+ y ago39:28

39:28

Liliana Ayalde reflects on a long and accomplished career in assistance, public health, and diplomacy. Beginning with her first posting with USAID in Bangladesh, Amb. Ayalde traces lessons learned and her abiding contributions to international development and diplomacy in the U.S. Foreign Service. She bounces back from serious medical leave; she ge…

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Three filmmakers talk about three outstanding African-American ambassadors – Edward Dudley, Terence Todman, and Carl Rowan 39:59

3+ y ago39:59

39:59

Leola Calzolai-Stewart, Rachell Shapiro, Kiley Kraskouskas talk about the careers of three outstanding African-American diplomats – ambassadors Edward Dudley, Terence Todman, and Carl Rowan – as well all that was involved in bringing the story of these pioneers to life in “The American Diplomat” on PBS. The discussion covers the history of African-…

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Amb. Ryan Crocker looks to the future, analyzes U.S. experience in conflict zones, and shares his thoughts on diversity, mental health, and work-life balance 50:59

3+ y ago50:59

50:59

Six-time U.S. Amb. Ryan Crocker (Career Ambassador and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient) looks back on his experience working with the military in some of toughest assignments and most fraught conflict zones ever. He also looks to the future and analyzes the nature of expeditionary diplomacy, the current state of geopolitics and the internat…

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Amb. Deb Malac on Leading, Constantly Improving, Serving in Africa, Fighting for Rights, and Tackling Public Health Crises 40:44

3+ y ago40:44

40:44

She has fought Ebola in Liberia, sexism in the State Department, and the closing of political space in Uganda. U.S. Ambassador Deborah Malac talks about problem-solving, leadership, multi-functionality and clarity. She begins with her serendipitous entry into the Foreign Service that morphed into an incredible career in Africa and global health. Sp…

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CG Lawrence Randolph Talks About Showing Up as a Diplomat – Authentically Engaged and Open 44:45

3+ y ago44:45

44:45

U.S. Consul General to Casablanca Lawrence Randolph talks about being a sincerely interested diplomat and using diversity as our strength. In his growth as a leader, he emphasizes mentorship and sponsorship, learning local languages and cultures, being open to new opportunities, and the secret strength of American diplomacy – creating diverse teams…

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Amb. Herro Mustafa talks about resilience, rejecting limitations, and adapting as a diplomat – part of her journey from Kurdish-Iraqi refugee to a young, female U.S. ambassador. 46:24

3+ y ago46:24

46:24

Amb. Herro Mustafa explains her love of diplomacy, underscores the need for emotional intelligence and adaptability, and cites her sources of support and resilience. She talks about rejecting limitations and developing her own “card” full of lessons. She discusses her growth as a diplomat, as she journeyed from Kurdish-Iraqi refugee in Minnesota to…

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Amb. Ron Neumann on Afghanistan, Diplomacy, and the Big Picture 29:00

3+ y ago29:00

29:00

Amb. Ron Neumann, President of the American Academy of Diplomacy and a three-time former ambassador, discusses everything from his time in Vietnam as a soldier to current events in Afghanistan. He gets into details of refugee policy and women's education, as well as reflects on leadership, working in high-threat environments, serving in Iran, findi…

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Amb. Ted Osius discusses his love of Southeast Asia, experiences as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, leadership, moral courage, and the nexus with diplomacy and private sector 43:58

4y ago43:58

43:58

Amb. Ted Osius discusses his love of Southeast Asia, experiences as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, moral courage, and public diplomacy (on a bicycle). He talks reconciliation between U.S. and Vietnam, leaving the State Department in protest, working in and with the private sector, and having a husband and kids in the Foreign Service. Brought to you as…

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Amb. Bill Taylor discusses Ukraine, impeachment, Afghanistan and Foreign Assistance 38:55

4y ago38:55

38:55

Amb. Bill Taylor -- our first political appointee as a guest -- discusses Ukraine, impeachment, "irregular channels," public diplomacy, the nature of conflict, Afghanistan, foreign assistance and being an interagency team player. *Brought to you as part of an Una Chapman Cox Foundation project on American diplomacy and the Foreign Service.…

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Amb. Roberta Jacobson talks about reestablishing U.S. ties with Cuba, forging a path as America’s first female and civil servant ambassador to Mexico, enjoying Latin America, and dealing with populism ... 34:57

4y ago34:57

34:57

Amb. Roberta Jacobson talks about reestablishing U.S. ties with Cuba, becoming America’s first female and civil servant ambassador to Mexico, and dealing with populist leaders. Ambassador Jacobson also discusses reestablishing diplomatic ties with Cuba, lost opportunities in Havana, populism in the Western Hemisphere, and what she loved about Latin…

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Amb. Lino Gutierrez discusses his path from Cuban immigrant to two-time U.S. ambassador. He shares lessons on leadership, managing up, negotiating with Cubans in Grenada, navigating Washington politics ... 33:56

4y ago33:56

33:56

Amb. Lino Gutierrez served as Ambassador to Argentina as well as to Nicaragua, and as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Western Hemisphere Affairs Bureau. In this episode, Amb. Gutierrez discusses his experience from Cuban immigrant to diplomat. He shares lessons on leadership, managing up, negotiating with Cubans in Grenada, navigating Washington …

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Senior Foreign Service Officer Tim Davis shares lessons learned on leadership, diversity, managing State Department principals, closing the U.S. Consulate in Basra, and navigating Secretary Clinton’s email ... 30:45

4y ago30:45

30:45

Tim "Timmy" Davis is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. In this episode, Tim shares lessons learned on leadership, building strong teams, encouraging diversity, and increasing recruitment. Mr. Davis also shares lessons learned closing of the U.S. Consulate in Basra, managing State Department principals, and navigating Secretary Clinton'…

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Amb. Chris Hill discusses growing up in the foreign service, working with Amb. Holbrooke and Sec. Eagleburger, his ambassadorship in Iraq, and leading Six-Party talks with N. Korea 35:26

4+ y ago35:26

35:26

Ambassador Chris Hill discusses growing up in the foreign service, working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, and formative experiences working with Secretary Eagleburger and Amb. Holbrooke. Ambassador Hill also discusses leading Six-Party talks with N. Korea, his ambassadorship in Iraq, and the importance of diversity in today's Foreign Servi…

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Amb. Beth Jones discusses growing up in the Foreign Service, her first tour in Afghanistan, Amb. Arnie Raphel's death, and Benghazi 28:43

4+ y ago28:43

28:43

Ambassador Beth Jones discusses attending local schools in Moscow and Berlin, her first tour in Afghanistan, and working as a control officer for Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Ambassador Jones also discusses rising to the top of the Foreign Service, lessons learned from Ambassadors Pickering and Platt, managing the European and Eurasian Affai…

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Amb. Nancy Jo Powell discusses growing up in rural Iowa, first tours in Ottawa and Kathmandu, ambassadorships in India and Pakistan, and pandemic lessons learned during Avian Influenza and Ebola 29:10

4+ y ago29:10

29:10

Ambassador Nancy Jo Powell discusses her childhood in rural Iowa, gender discrimination at the State Department in the 1970's, and her first big break as Acting Consul General in Lahore, Pakistan in 1988. Ambassador Powell also discusses cultivating high morale in difficult posts, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan in the wake of 9/11, the …

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Amb. William Brownfield discusses growing up in West Texas, his first tour in Maracaibo, claims of Venezuelan interference in the U.S. presidential election, and the importance of hiring the right mid ... 30:38

5y ago30:38

30:38

Ambassador William Brownfield discusses his family's history in West Texas, life as a Junior Officer in Maracaibo, how to engage with the media, his tumultuous years as U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, and accusations of Venezuelan involvement in the U.S. presidential elections. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming book: Modern American Diplomacy:…

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Amb. Marc Grossman discusses his first tour in Islamabad, working as an NEA staffer, testifying before Congress, and the morning of 9/11 30:49

5y ago30:49

30:49

Ambassador Marc Grossman discusses life as a Junior Officer in Islamabad, his tumultuous year as an NEA staffer, tips for testifying before Congress, lessons learned from the morning of 9/11, and answering the call to return to service.

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Amb. Steve Mull discusses life as a Junior Officer, apartheid South Africa, communist Poland, Indonesia post-9/11, and the Iran deal 29:09

5y ago29:09

29:09

Ambassador Stephen D. Mull discusses life as a Junior Officer in The Bahamas, reporting tours in apartheid South Africa and communist Poland, and life on seventh floor. Ambassador Mull also discusses his first DCM tour in post-9/11 Jakarta, the importance of public diplomacy, and implementing the Iran deal. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming …

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Amb. Tom Shannon discusses the importance of strategic thinking, Covid-19 and globalization, and the future of U.S. diplomacy 23:28

5y ago23:28

23:28

Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. discusses the importance of history and strategic thinking in the practice of diplomacy, and the social, economic and political forces likely to shape the future. Ambassador Shannon also discusses his multiple White House tours, his service as Under Secretary (and Secretary) of State, and what it means to serve as …

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Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield discusses segregation, Liberia, succeeding as a tandem, the killing of George Floyd, and strengthening management through diversity 30:04

5y ago30:04

30:04

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield discusses growing up in the segregated south, succeeding as a tandem couple, and raising kids in the Foreign Service, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also discusses her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, promoting gender and ethnic diversity at the State Department, and the killing of George Floyd. Interview excer…

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Dealing with a Leftist Dipsomaniac: The United States and Ecuador’s Carlos Arosemena 13:14

5+ y ago13:14

13:14

In the 1960s, U.S. foreign policy had two bugbears: the Soviet Union and Cuba. The United States wished to prevent another Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro’s rise to power, through policies like the Alliance for Progress. As the United States continued to worry about potential leftist revolutions across the region, Ecuador became a setting for thi…

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Tex Harris Keep Your Hands Above Your Head 5:03

5+ y ago5:03

5:03

Distinguished American diplomat Tex Harris recounts attempted intimidation by Argentine security forces in 1977, at the height of that country’s “Dirty War.” From the series "Tales of American Diplomacy" by the Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training. Because diplomacy matters now more than ever.…

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Amb. Bill Burns discusses Putin, Iran, NATO expansion, 9/11, President Trump's foreign policy, and the future of U.S. diplomacy 46:48

5+ y ago46:48

46:48

Ambassador Bill Burns discusses visiting Putin in the Kremlin, negotiating the JCPOA in Muscat, and the U.S. government's response to 9/11. Ambassador Burns also discusses the complexities of NATO expansion, attributes of a good diplomat, and President Trump's recent impeachment hearings. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming book: Modern Americ…

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Relationships - Women in the Foreign Service 24:36

5+ y ago24:36

24:36

Women have been a fundamental part of the Foreign Service in both visible and invisible ways since its founding, making countless contributions. These are the stories of trailblazing women in the Foreign Service and how they paved the way for the present.By ADST

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Brunei 16:53

5+ y ago16:53

16:53

Brunei, one of the smallest, yet richest states in the world, is located on the island of Borneo, in the Indonesian archipelago. Fewer than 500,000 people live within its 22,00 square miles. A new constitution in 1959 declared Brunei a self-governing state, while entrusting conduct of its foreign affairs to the United Kingdom. Until 1994, when it a…

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Amb. Tony Wayne discusses Argentina, Mexico, Afghanistan, economics, and raising a family in the Foreign Service 27:26

5+ y ago27:26

27:26

Ambassador Tony Wayne discusses economic crisis in Argentina, interviewing KISS in Buenos Aires, the illegal drug trade in Mexico, health and education in Afghanistan, and raising a family in the Foreign Service. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming book: Modern American Diplomacy: A Field Guide to Success in The Foreign Service.…

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Amb. Kristie Kenney discusses breaking barriers, The Philippines, career management, Thailand, diversity, and life as a tandem 31:10

5+ y ago31:10

31:10

Ambassador Kristie Kenney discusses growing up in Washington D.C., life as a Junior Officer in Kingston, and the importance of hard work in diplomacy. Ambassador Kenney also highlights her barrier-breaking assignments as the State Department's first female Executive Secretary, first female Ambassador to Thailand, and first female Ambassador to the …

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Amb. Thomas Pickering discusses Kissinger, Syria, Amb. Yovanovitch, leadership, and succeeding in the Foreign Service 26:04

5+ y ago26:04

26:04

Ambassador Thomas Pickering shares tips on managing an embassy, serving in hardship posts, and navigating a life and career in the Foreign Service. Ambassador Pickering also discusses working for Secretaries Rogers and Kissinger, the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, and the turmoil surrounding President Trump's re…

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Amb. Maura Harty discusses Sec. Powell, Sec. Shultz, succeeding (and failing) as a Junior Officer, leadership tenets, switching cones, and September 11th 32:50

5+ y ago32:50

32:50

Former Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Maura Harty discusses a less-than-ideal assignment as a Junior Officer, her stints working beside Secretaries Shultz and Powell, and her tenure as the head of the Consular Bureau in the wake of 9/11. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming book: Modern American Diplomacy: A Field Guide to Success in …

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Amb. Robert O. Blake Jr. discusses leadership, impeachment, India, Turkey, Sri Lanka, career management, and growing up in the Foreign Service 30:06

5+ y ago30:06

30:06

Former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake Jr. discusses his family's legacy in the Foreign Service, his childhood overseas, India, Turkey, the Middle East, and career advice for the next generation of Foreign Service leaders. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming book: Modern American Diplomacy: A Fi…

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Amb. John Negroponte discusses Vietnam, Trump, Colin Powell, USMCA, leadership, and succeeding in the Foreign Service 26:10

6y ago26:10

26:10

Former Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte discusses Saigon, the Vietnam War, Kissinger, Powell, Trump, and NAFTA. He also relays leadership lessons from George Shultz and Phil Habib, while offering career and life advice to the the next generation of Foreign Service Officer. Interview excerpted from the forthcoming book: Modern American Dipl…

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Nixon in China- A Question of Interpretation 9:36

6y ago9:36

9:36

Nixon's "jowls were wobbling in anger" when a young foreign service officer, during Nixon's historic 1972 visit to China, saved the President from embarrassment by refusing to interpret. Here is the story.By ADST

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South Africa, DeKlerk and the End of Apartheid 7:16

6y ago7:16

7:16

In a one-on-one meeting in 1989, future South African President F.W. DeKlerk told Hank Cohen, America's senior diplomat for Africa, that if elected he would free Mandela, un-ban the ANC, and end apartheid. DeKlerk delivered. Here is that story.By ADST

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Peace Baby: the First Drive from Egypt to Israel in 1980 6:53

6+ y ago6:53

6:53

In 1980, James Larocco was a young American diplomat in Egypt--and a new father. His newborn daughter needed urgent medical treatment in Israel. The American ambassador told Larocco “Egyptian President Anwar Sadat called Israel’s Menachim Begin and they agreed that you will be the first family to drive from Cairo to Jerusalem.” Here is that story.…

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William Harrop on Using Soccer Balls to Build Goodwill in Guinea 4:28

6+ y ago4:28

4:28

As American ambassador to poor, socialist Guinea from 1975-77, William Harrop used a $25,000 discretionary fund and lots of soccer balls to promote goodwill. From the series "Tales of American Diplomacy" by the Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training. Because diplomacy matters now more than ever.…

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Tish Butler on the 1983 Beirut US Embassy Bombing 14:35

6+ y ago14:35

14:35

The bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 18, 1983, killed 63 people, including 17 Americans. Newly-arrived USAID employee Letitia "Tish" Butler survived the bombing. This is her story.By ADST

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Blowing the Whistle on American Corruption in Russia 8:47

7y ago8:47

8:47

USAID unearthed a major corruption scandal in Russia in the late 1990s involving Harvard University’s Institute for International Development. Dr. Janet Ballantyne, USAID’s mission director, blew the whistle. In her oral history, Ballantyne discusses the consternation this caused with U.S. Embassy leadership, and the repercussions of her reporting …

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Basketball: The Fifth Basket of the Helsinki Final Act and the Effects on U.S.-Soviet Relations 8:25

7+ y ago8:25

8:25

The Helsinki Final Act, an agreement signed by 35 nations at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) on August 1, 1975, addressed a spectrum of global problems and had a lasting impact on U.S.-Soviet relations. The Helsinki Final Act dealt with a variety of issues divided into four “baskets.” The first basket dealt with politica…

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CNN, Tanks, and Glass Walls: The August 1991 U.S.S.R. Coup 11:33

7+ y ago11:33

11:33

In August of 1991, hard-liners opposed to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev initiated a coup attempt to overthrow him. The rebellion occurred in part because of financial strife as the Soviet Union transformed quickly from a statist to a market-based economy. Long lines formed for essential goods including medicine and fuel, and grocery shelves we…

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Mission Unspeakable: When North Koreans Tried to Kill the President of South Korea 7:20

7+ y ago7:20

7:20

On October 9, 1983, while South Korean President Chun Doo-Hwan was on a visit to Rangoon, Burma to lay a wreath at the Martyr’s Mausoleum of Swedagon Pagoda, a bomb concealed in the roof exploded, killing 21 people including four senior South Korean officials. President Chun was spared because his car had been delayed in traffic and he was not at t…

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Teaching the Foreign Service to Speak Foreign Languages 15:21

7+ y ago15:21

15:21

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the primary training institution to prepare American diplomats to advance U.S. foreign affairs interests, teaching, among other things, the languages of the countries where Foreign Service Officers will serve. At the National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia, FSI’s School of Language Stud…

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Getting the U.S. President to Write to the President of Guatemala About Human Rights (Hint – It’s Who You Know) 10:50

7+ y ago10:50

10:50

With the end of the Cold War, the U.S. began to put greater emphasis on enforcing its policy of protecting human rights worldwide, based on the core belief that people have a set of inviolable rights simply on grounds of being human. Some foreign counterparts were skeptical that the U.S. would give priority to human rights at the expense of other g…

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Escape from Japanese Internment in China 22:53

8y ago22:53

22:53

In June of 1937, Beijing became one of the first cities to fall as Japanese forces began their conquest of China. In contrast to the atrocities committed by Imperial forces during their capture of Nanjing in December of that year, residents of Beijing lived relatively peaceful lives after occupation. This included the city’s population of Westerner…

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South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission 26:03

8y ago26:03

26:03

After nearly 50 years of brutal apartheid in South Africa, it is almost impossible to imagine how people could coexist peacefully. However, the new, post-apartheid government demonstrated the power of reconciliation, which eventually served as a blueprint for similar initiatives throughout the world. Apartheid, the racial segregation system in Sout…

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Observing the Fiftieth Anniversary of VJ-Day in Japan 12:13

8y ago12:13

12:13

How to commemorate an important anniversary of the country in which you’re posted when it marks a low point in the bilateral relationship? World War II came to an end when Imperial Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945; officials from its government signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2 aboard the USS Missouri. It wa…

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"The Wild West" - Peshawar and the Afghan Mujahedeen 29:50

8y ago29:50

29:50

In the late 1970s, the USSR had been supporting the Afghan government in its fight against rebels, who had made considerable inroads and controlled territory outside Afghanistan’s major cities. Determined to squash a growing threat, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on December 24, 1979. Soviet troops and swarms of helicopters overthrew the gove…

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Take This Job and Shove It, Mr. Kissinger 23:44

8y ago23:44

23:44

In the late 1960’s, the United States had become polarized by the Vietnam War, as even many defenders were beginning to question the goals and tactics of the military. One such person was William Watts, who at the time had been promoted to the position of White House Staff Secretary for the National Security Council under President Richard Nixon in…

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Korean Visa Fraud and GI Brides 19:11

8y ago19:11

19:11

As long as there are vast economic disparities between countries, there will be people desperate (and unscrupulous) enough to do whatever it takes, including fraud and false marriages, to try to immigrate. Before its economic takeoff, South Korea in the 1970s and 80s was a major source of visa fraud and so-called GI brides, women who looked to esca…

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Persecution of the Kurds 25:46

8y ago25:46

25:46

The Kurds have had a long and troubled history in Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein tens of thousands of Kurds were massacred and their villages destroyed during Iraq’s war with Iran in the 1980s. In the aftermath of the 1990-91 Gulf War, the Kurds, staged an uprising against Saddam and fought to gain autonomy over the Kurdish-dominated region of northern…