Democracy activist and human rights activist, Oleksandra Matviichuk joins "Ten (10) Minutes in Defense of Democracies" from Kyiv.  We discuss her efforts prior to Russia's invasion in 2014 to strengthen the democratic institutions in Ukraine.  She is now spending her time, at great risk, to build a case against Russia for war crimes.

A fascinating discussion with someone on the front lines of democracy in Ukraine.  Thank you, Ms. Matviichuk.

Australia's former Ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey joins Ready, Set, Lead! Podcast.  We discussed his early impressions of the United States, his time as Ambassador,  Bondi Partners,  instability in the Indo-Pacific, American leadership around the world, and the deep friendship between the U.S. and Australia.


About Ambassador Joe Hockey

Before co-founding Bondi Partners, the Honourable Joe Hockey served as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States of America, taking up his posting in Washington in January 2016. Notably, Mr. Hockey was responsible for Australia’s relationship with the US during the final year of President Obama’s tenure and the first three years of President Trump’s term. As Ambassador, Mr. Hockey emphasized the importance of a free and fair trade and investment partnership between the US and Australia, while promoting innovative infrastructure investment throughout the US.

At Bondi Partners, Mr. Hockey spearheads the firm’s strategic direction in both the United States and Australia.

Previously, as the elected Treasurer of Australia, Mr. Hockey was responsible for all aspects of the Australian economy. With a reputation as a reformer, Mr. Hockey helped shape the modern financial system in Australia and had a major hand in the formation of industry policy, from tourism and hospitality to health and welfare.

In 2014, Mr. Hockey chaired the highly successful G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings. He initiated major infrastructure initiatives ranging from the implementation of asset recycling financing to the creation of the G20 Infrastructure Hub.

Mr. Hockey has had a long and distinguished career in public service. He first entered Parliament in 1996 as the Member for North Sydney and spent more than seventeen years on the front bench. Over the course of his parliamentary career, Mr. Hockey served as a Minister in a number of different portfolios including Financial Services, Small Business and Tourism, Human Services, and Employment and Workplace Relations. 

Previously, Mr. Hockey served as a banking and finance lawyer with a major Australian law firm. He graduated from the University of Sydney with Bachelor's degree in Arts and Law.

Mr. Hockey is married to Ms. Melissa Babbage, a company director, and former investment banker. They have three young children Xavier, Adelaide, and Ignatius.

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Ready Set Lead Ep 4

A new hope. That’s what the United States was to the world in 1776. But are we now headed into an era of darkness? Does the US have the capacity to move the country forward in 2021 and beyond?

Tune in to this episode of Ready, Set, Lead! as we welcome presidential historian and author of The Cabinet, Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, to talk about the Republic, the impulses to create an empire, the use of force, and whether or not we’re headed to the dark side. 

“All leadership is flawed. It’s incredibly important to tell the whole story and the full story.”                                                                                              - Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky loves to study power and how people use it. She sheds light on the era of President Washington and how it has impacted both the modern American political system and the world as a whole. Lindsay shares her candid thoughts on a wide range of topics including whether we should grade our leaders on a historical curve, the use of the term “cabinet”, and the context and consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. She speaks on why the 2022 mid-term elections are a major turning point for the US and shares an inspirational quote that puts all of this into perspective.

“Bipartisanship can be a real asset but you have to manage it carefully.”   - Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky

Episode Timeline: What You’ll Learn & Questions Answered

00:00 Intro

00:40 Introducing Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky

02:03 Why study George Washington and the cabinet?

03:13 Historical sites and experiences that have impacted Lindsay the most

06:45 Interesting aspects of Washington’s political savviness and optics

10:11 Slave owners vs. Non-slave owners: Should leaders be graded on a historical curve? 

14:08 Is a diversity of opinion a strength to a president and to the nation? How do you reconcile the search for loyalty from President Washington and the benefits of having a diversity of opinion?

19:12 Why the term “cabinet” wasn’t used regularly by the administration & the phrase they used instead

20:09 Why have presidents after Roosevelt been so hesitant to formally declare wars?

22:51 The relationship between President Washington and his VP Adams & Examples of President/Vice President relationships that helped and hurt the US

28:04 US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan 

30:04 Evaluating the negative ramifications of John Jay’s Treaty: What would George Washington say?

34:00 How would Washington respond to Russia’s interference in the US elections?

36:03 How enlightened can a nation be if it does not stand with free people and other nations around the world?

37:56 Do we have the capacity to move the country forward in 2021? & Why the 2022 mid-term elections are a major turning point for the US

41:05 Outro

About Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky:

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is a historian of Early America, the presidency, and the government — especially the president’s cabinet. She shares her research by writing everything from op-eds to books, speaking on podcasts and other media, and teaching every kind of audience. She is the author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution.  Available at Amazon and independent booksellers.  

What is it really like to be a US ambassador overseas? Will American still be the great hope of the world 50 years from now?

Tune in to this episode of Ready, Set, Lead! as we welcome US Ambassador Allan Katz to discuss his experience working on Capitol Hill, proving civic discourse at American Public Square, and serving in Lisbon as the United States Ambassador. We talked about challenges he’s facing from China and Russia, the value of NATO for our current society, the importance of US diplomacy, and much more!

“After a year in Portugal, if any other ambassador from around the world had called me and offered to trade spots, I would have said no.” - Ambassador Allan Katz

Howard details his experience with Obama’s decision to increase US presence in Afghanistan, as well as his candid thoughts on Biden’s strategic decision to withdraw all US and NATO troops from Afghanistan. He also speaks on the impact of America’s global engagement on the citizenry in European and Pacific democracies.

Episode Timeline: What You’ll Learn & Questions Answered

00:00 Intro

00:37 Allan’s journey to becoming the American Ambassador to Portugal

03:15 The origin of American Public Square

04:16 How did you know you wanted to get into law and politics?

05:03 Did you have any input into the decision of what country you would be an ambassador to?

06:51 What did you do on your first day as Ambassador to Portugal? & What it was like adjusting to the role

09:30 Allan shares how much discretion he really had as a US ambassador

11:57 The differences between career diplomats and non-career diplomats

14:49 Did you develop special, long-lasting relationships with any other ambassadors or officials in Portugal? 

16:01 Allan’s experience as an ambassador when Obama increased the US presence in Afghanistan in 2009-10

17:58 His thoughts on the largest strategic decision to withdraw all US and NATO troops from Afghanistan

20:44 What is the current value of the NATO alliance?

22:57 Will China use Portugal’s airbase as a “logistics opp”?

25:33 Why should the citizenry in European and Pacific democracies care about how much America is engaged around the world? How does it impact their lives? 

26:58 How much do American values and behaviors impact our abilities to lead overseas?

28:12 Does the moral universe bend towards justice, as Martin Luther King says?

29:00 50 years from now, is American still the great hope of the world?

30:44 Outro

About Allan Katz:

Allan Jack Katz is a former City Commissioner of Tallahassee and American Ambassador to Portugal. President Barack Obama nominated Allan to be Ambassador of the United States of America to the Portuguese Republic in November 2009. Ambassador Allan Katz is a distinguished professor with the University of Missouri Kansas City Bloch School's Department of Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Science's Political Science Department. He is the founder of the American Public Square, an organization using civil discourse to bridge the partisan divide.

This is the Ready, Set, Lead! Podcast of the United States Global Initiative. 

To learn more about us, visit our website: www.unitedstatesglobalinitiative.org

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/usglobalinit

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/usglobalinit

About Howard Gold:

Howard Gold is the President of United States Global Initiative.

Want to get in touch? Email him: hgold@usglobalinitiative.org

How much do American values and behaviors at home impact our ability to lead overseas? 

Tune in to this episode of Ready, Set, Lead! Podcast as we welcome Former US Ambassador to Sweden and the UK, Matthew Barzun, to discuss his approach to foreign policy and how we, the planet, can be free together. 

Matthew shares his candid thoughts on the unique role of a US Ambassador, the dangers of fearing disagreement, and the power of nurturing relationships, especially with people who don’t agree with your political views. He also sheds light on the meaning behind his constellation theory of leadership, independence, and power, a concept he talks about in his book, The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go. 

Don’t miss the insightful words of wisdom Matthew offers to foreign policy professionals around the world!

“The magic of a constellation is that you can stand out as an individual, a star so to speak, and you can fit together with other stars to create something more useful, more powerful than you ever could on your own. And that I think is the best idea America has ever had.” - Matthew Barzun

Episode Timeline: What You’ll Learn & Questions Answered

00:00 Intro

00:34 Exploring Matthew Barzun’s background and ancestry

04:44 Matthew’s constellation theory of leadership

09:53 What was your first day like as an ambassador? 

12:53 Were there any foreign relationships you had overseas that surprised you?

16:15 In hindsight, was it a mistake for President Obama to weigh in on the Brexit vote?

19:17 Matthew’s thoughts on the Syrian chemical weapons issue

22:49 The reality of the United States’ relationship with the United Kingdom & His insight into the global covid-19 vaccine rollout.

26:39 How do the principals in your book lend themselves to America working with other nations to tackle issues like climate change?

30:39 The constellation theory in action & Do larger constellations become more attractive?

33:49 How much do American values and behaviors at home impact our ability to lead overseas?

27:21 Outro

About Matthew Barzun:

Matthew Barzun is the Former US Ambassador to Sweden and Former US. Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He’s also the author of The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go.

Buy his book: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602163/the-power-of-giving-away-power-by-matthew-barzun

This is the Ready, Set, Lead! Podcast of the United States Global Initiative. 

What is the United States Global Initiative? We are an apolitical, non-partisan not-for-profit organization dedicated to greater U.S. engagement around the World, with enlightened diplomacy;  stronger alliances of democratic nations;  a robust military;  and taking the lead in the fight against climate change.

To learn more about us, visit our website: www.unitedstatesglobalinitiative.org

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/usglobalinit

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/usglobalinit

Our inaugural guest went from a Community Organizer …not that guy…to President Obama’s Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. Let’s find out about the life of a U.S. Ambassador. Alan Solomont joins us today…so   Ready…Set…Lead!