Niels Marquardt - If You Can’t Stay Out Of The Way, You Have Hired The Wrong People

                                                     

Ambassador Niels Marquardt is a former American diplomat who now serves as the first-ever diplomat in residence at Lewis & Clark College. He shares lessons about the "90% rule" ,why it's important to " Instill pride in others" and asks "Who do you work for?" hosted by Robert Hossary.

About Ambassador Niels Marquardt

Ambassador Niels Marquardt is a former American diplomat who now serves as the first-ever diplomat in residence at Lewis & Clark College.

This follows a long career representing the United States abroad. After leaving the State Department in 2013 after 33 years, Niels also led the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia as its CEO until 2017.

Other career highlights include service as U.S. Consul General in Sydney, Australia (2010–13); U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros (2007–10); and U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon (2004–07) and Equatorial Guinea (2004–06). 

Niels first entered the State Department in 1980 and ultimately served every U.S. President from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama. His earlier overseas assignments included postings in Thailand (twice), the People’s Republic of the Congo, France, and Germany. Under the leadership of Secretary of State Colin Powell, Niels led the Department’s 2001–04 “Diplomatic Readiness Initiative,” managing the largest increase in State Department recruitment, hiring, and training in decades and helping prepare American diplomacy for the intense challenges of the post-9/11 era.

Earlier in his career, Niels was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire and Rwanda (1977–79), teaching English at the National University of Rwanda.

Ambassador Marquardt also earned master’s degrees from the National War College (1994) and Thunderbird Graduate School of Global Management (1980). Ambassador Marquardt serves on the board of the Portland-based International Youth Silent Film Festival; on Lewis & Clark’s Sustainability and Global Advisory Boards; on the American-Australian Veterans Scholarship Fund; and is a member of the Oregon Consular Corps.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1. Don't Worry About What Other People Are Thinking About You. 05:13

Lesson 2. The 90 Percent Rule. 08:25

Lesson 3. Your Passion May Not Lead To Success. But Pursue Them Anyway. 12:32

Lesson 4. We Are Often Our Own Worst Enemy. 17:34

Lesson 5. Instill Pride In Others. 20:56

Lesson 6. If You Can't Stay Out Of The Way, You Have Hired The Wrong People. 26:35

Lesson 7. Listen. 31:55

Lesson 8. If They Don't Know You, They Won't Care. 34:32

Lesson 9. Who Do You Work For? 38:37

Lesson 10. You Can Recover From Most Mistakes 43:48