At the Talent for Good Fair 2025, we hosted a special live edition of The Handshake with Yoka Brandt, former Dutch Ambassador to the United Nations. She drew on her wide experience in diplomacy and international cooperation to share practical lessons on leadership and negotiation.
Brandt highlighted the importance of patience, listening, and building alliances to achieve progress, even when it comes in small steps.
“You don’t get very far when you just state your own position,” she reflected. “The challenge is to find common ground, even if it only moves the needle one millimeter.”
She also stressed the value of authenticity and courage in leadership.
“My test has always been: can I look in the mirror and be true to myself about how I handled this?”
She encouraged the audience not to fear stepping outside their comfort zones, echoing her mother’s advice: “It doesn’t matter if you fail, it matters if you don’t know because you never tried.”
Finally, she underlined the role of young professionals, whose creativity and determination are essential to international cooperation.
“We need young people, their energy and out-of-the-box thinking. Keep contributing to change, however small it might feel.”
Curious to hear more of Yoka’s insights?
Watch the full recording here: