There is an old saying: too many cooks spoil the broth.
It is a simple warning, but it contains an important lesson about modern government. A government cannot function effectively when everybody wants to give instructions, everybody wants public visibility, and nobody is clearly accountable for the result.
Good government is not built by collecting the loudest voices in the room. It is built through clear leadership, specialist knowledge and disciplined teamwork.
The right specialist for the right problem
Consider a person who is seriously ill. They do not need every doctor in the hospital to treat the same condition. They need the right doctor for the particular sickness, supported by nurses, technicians and other specialists where necessary.
The same principle applies to international diplomacy.
When a government is negotiating with another country, it needs the right diplomat or negotiation team for that particular relationship and subject. A negotiation involving trade requires different knowledge from one involving defence, energy, migration, technology or cultural cooperation.
The person leading the discussion should understand the region, the language, the history, the political sensitivities and the technical subject under negotiation.
Political leadership and professional diplomacy
That does not make the Prime Minister or President irrelevant. It defines their proper role.
The political leader sets the national mandate, establishes the strategic objective and carries ultimate political responsibility. But the specialist diplomat, supported by a small and carefully selected team, should normally conduct the detailed negotiation.
The head of government may enter the process when political authority is required, when an impasse must be resolved, or when the final agreement must be approved and signed. But leadership does not mean personally doing every specialist task.
The school and the roots-and-branches model
A school offers another useful comparison. A headteacher provides direction and carries responsibility for the school. However, the headteacher does not teach every subject to every class. Mathematics requires one kind of teacher, history another, science another and music another.
The school succeeds because the headteacher and teaching team understand their different responsibilities.
This is the roots-and-branches model of government:
- Roots: the constitution, national interest, evidence, public institutions and accountability.
- Trunk: the Prime Minister or President, providing political direction.
- Main branches: ministers, diplomats and public servants responsible for particular areas.
- Smaller branches: legal, economic, cultural, technical, security and communications specialists.
The purpose of the tree is not to create confusion. It is to produce fruit: sound decisions, durable agreements and public benefit.
When politics becomes influencer culture
The danger comes when political leadership begins to resemble influencer culture.
An influencer is rewarded for attention, speed, personal branding and constant visibility. Government requires something different: patience, confidentiality, institutional memory, technical competence and responsibility for consequences.
An influencer asks, “How will this look today?” A statesperson asks, “What is the national objective, who has the necessary expertise, what are the risks, and who is accountable for the outcome?”
Modern diplomacy is becoming even more demanding because international relations now involve artificial intelligence, energy systems, supply chains, cyber-security, finance, migration and public trust. A recent Harvard Kennedy School initiative similarly argues that future diplomats need an understanding of emerging technologies and must be prepared to manage conflict through negotiation rather than force.
Leadership means knowing who should do the work
Governments need a professional diplomatic bench and small, capable negotiation teams. They do not need endless committees or crowds of political personalities. They need the right people, with the right authority, doing the right work at the right time.
The lesson is not that political leaders should withdraw from diplomacy. The lesson is that they should lead intelligently.
A Prime Minister or President should know when to speak, when to decide and when to allow the appointed specialist to perform the task. The strongest leader is not the person who dominates every conversation. It is the person who knows how to assemble the right team, define the mandate and accept responsibility for the result.
This principle should also guide the development of artificial intelligence in government and business. AI may support research, analysis and negotiation preparation, but it must operate within clear limits. Human beings must retain judgement, responsibility and the right to intervene.
The future belongs neither to the loudest influencer nor to the largest committee. It belongs to institutions that understand their roots, organise their branches and know who is responsible for the fruit.
Leadership gives direction. Expertise does the work. Accountability protects the public.
Deverout Graham
Managing Partner
Deverout & Associates
Bedford · London · Global Affiliates
