Negotiators who Changed the World

Remigiusz Smolinski is a professor and Academic Director of the Center for International Negotiation at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany. He is the founder of The Negotiation Challenge, Discurso.ai, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Negotiation and Conflict Management Research. Dr. Smolinski is a board member of the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM), with expertise in leadership, negotiation performance, entrepreneurial and cross-cultural negotiations, pedagogy, and ethics. Beyond academia, Dr. Smolinski has held senior leadership roles across various industries, including media, e-commerce, banking, and consulting.

• Part 1: Philosophers and Strategists.- Confucius: A Great Negotiator.- Jesus Christ: The Ultimate Servant.- Machiavelli as Negotiator and Leaders’ Adviser.- Talleyrand, Firm but Flexible.- Avoiding a nuclear catastrophe: John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the Cuba Missiles Crisis.- Henry Kissinger: Metternich, Messenger, Mediator or Meddler?.- Part 2: State Builders and Unity Architect.- Johann Rudolf Wettstein and the Art of Diplomacy: Negotiating Swiss Independence at the Peace of Westphalia.- Jacques Delors: Orchestrating Europe’s Transformation.- Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān: the father of the United Arab Emirates.- Mikhail Gorbachev: Lion in the West, Pariah in the East.- The chancellor of dual unity: Helmut Kohl and the path to German reunification in a united Europe.- Angela Merkel: The Quiet Powerhouse of Global Negotiation.- part 3: Peacemakers and Mediators.- Bridging Divides: Nelson Mandela’s Legacy of Leadership and Negotiation.- The Unpredictable Negotiator: A look into Sadat's Leadership.- Tommy Koh: Negotiating with Mind and Heart.- From High Office to Higher Purpose: The Humble Power of Kofi Annan’s Leadership.- The Invictus Negotiator for Freedom, Democracy and Peace: Ibrahim Rugova of Kosovo.- Emma Leslie: Confronting the Hard Realities of Peacemaking Head On.- Santos' Legacy as a Peace Negotiator Leader.- Master Alliance Builder: How Sakamoto Ryoma's Negotiation Moves Shaped Modern Japan.- Negotiating the Dawn of Democracy: Lech Wałęsa and Poland’s Triumph Over Communism.- Negotiating Against Oppression: Dr. Shirin Ebadi’s Fight for Justice.- Empathy and Strength: Jacinda Ardern’s Leadership and Negotiation Prowess.- Madeleine Albright: The Original Madam Secretary.- Catherine Ashton, and then what?.- Building Bridges, Shaping Futures: Jens Stoltenberg's Negotiation Mastery.- Ratan Tata: A Visionary Leader and a Powerful Negotiator.- Part 4: Concluding Remarks.- Are Leaders Important?.