--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard…" description: "\"Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not easy for any president.\" — Richard Grenell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg" --- # Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not… ![“Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not easy for any president.” quote by Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg) > “Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not easy for any president.” [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Diplomacy and coalition‑building require sustained effort and are rarely simple for any leader. **In simple terms:** Building alliances is hard work for presidents. Key Takeaway Invest time in relationship building. Themes politics leadership collaboration Mood strategic pragmatic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - campaign management - international negotiations - policy development - team building Key Concepts diplomacy coalition strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What alliances are essential now? - How can leaders simplify complex negotiations? A Different Perspective Political realities can limit coalition possibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [ We did drive them \[Iran\] to the negotiating table. And my successor, John Kerry, and President \[Barack\] Obama got a deal that put a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-did-drive-them-iran-to-the-negotiating-table-and-my-successor-john/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Today whenever women gather together it is not necessarily nurturing. It is coalition building. And if you feel the strain, you may be doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-johnson-reagon/today-whenever-women-gather-together-it-is-not-necessarily-nurturing/) [Bernice Johnson Reagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-johnson-reagon/) > [It is important not to allow ever wider coalition-building to become an end in itself. As we saw in the Gulf War of 1990,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-important-not-to-allow-ever-wider-coalition-building-to-become/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [If you don't want war, then you had better be an advocate for diplomacy with muscle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/if-you-don-t-want-war-then-you-had-better-be-an-advocate-for/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clijsters/i-know-that-i-m-going-to-have-to-work-hard-keep-working-hard-and-not/) [Kim Clijsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clijsters/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [My career could've been anything, I just wasn't that good at other things. I'd say it was fairly easy starting out as I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/my-career-could-ve-been-anything-i-just-wasn-t-that-good-at-other/) [Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/) > [There comes a point where you see no evidence that the carrot and diplomacy are working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-comes-a-point-where-you-see-no-evidence-that-the-carrot-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [War is always a failure. It means we've failed in diplomacy and we've failed in talking to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/war-is-always-a-failure-it-means-we-ve-failed-in-diplomacy-and-we-ve/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“There is no time for patience - there is no time for diplomacy - there is no time for policies, legislations and meaningless paperwork.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-is-no-time-for-patience-there-is-no-time-for-diplomacy-there-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Richard Grenell > [Many developing nations have such severe debt and budget problems that the money given by developed nations will never be spent the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/many-developing-nations-have-such-severe-debt-and-budget-problems/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Fellow conservatives, particularly within the Republican Party, typically do a good job arguing against totalitarian, one-size-fits-all approaches to policy. What works for a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/fellow-conservatives-particularly-within-the-republican-party/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [U.S. academics and Upper East Side New Yorkers like to think of the United Nations as a place where foreign ambassadors have intellectual discussions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/u-s-academics-and-upper-east-side-new-yorkers-like-to-think-of-the/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [While supporting human rights in another country is important, fighting for our own safety is crucial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/while-supporting-human-rights-in-another-country-is-important/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Cancer taught my family that my mom is much stronger than we ever thought. Faced with a devastating diagnosis, she just kept going and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/cancer-taught-my-family-that-my-mom-is-much-stronger-than-we-ever/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [In the past, liberals have competed to see who could shout the loudest to shut down the banks, ridicule success, and penalize anyone working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/in-the-past-liberals-have-competed-to-see-who-could-shout-the-loudest/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [The U.N. and other international bodies, along with wealthier nations, could manage the unavoidable migration from poorer countries if there were greater focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/the-u-n-and-other-international-bodies-along-with-wealthier-nations/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [I think President Obama is weak, bored with the office, and an incompetent leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/i-think-president-obama-is-weak-bored-with-the-office-and-an/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Biden's support for Mubarak in the face of his falling regime sends a powerful and unfortunate message to the Arab world that their freedoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/biden-s-support-for-mubarak-in-the-face-of-his-falling-regime-sends-a/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Nominating Susan Rice for Secretary of State is a mistake not just because of her Sunday show deceptions but because her tenure as America's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/nominating-susan-rice-for-secretary-of-state-is-a-mistake-not-just/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [It's true that John Bolton would not win the most popular ambassador award at the U.N., but being popular shouldn't be the priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/it-s-true-that-john-bolton-would-not-win-the-most-popular-ambassador/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Ironically, Hillary Clinton's appointment in 2008 as secretary of state was forced on Obama by her presidential campaign supporters, who insisted she play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/ironically-hillary-clinton-s-appointment-in-2008-as-secretary-of/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Journalists undoubtedly have a duty to push, cajole, and aggressively maneuver around campaign handlers in order for the public to see a candidate unscripted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/journalists-undoubtedly-have-a-duty-to-push-cajole-and-aggressively/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Presidents and cabinet officials could send a strong message of accountability if they held senior appointees responsible for their performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/presidents-and-cabinet-officials-could-send-a-strong-message-of/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Obama has created a new world where countries ignore the U.S. without consequence. It's so bad that Saudi Arabia doesn't even want to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/obama-has-created-a-new-world-where-countries-ignore-the-u-s-without/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) [Explore all 99 Richard Grenell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) ## More Diplomacy quotes > [“There is no time for patience - there is no time for diplomacy - there is no time for policies, legislations and meaningless paperwork.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-is-no-time-for-patience-there-is-no-time-for-diplomacy-there-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [War is always a failure. It means we've failed in diplomacy and we've failed in talking to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/war-is-always-a-failure-it-means-we-ve-failed-in-diplomacy-and-we-ve/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [There comes a point where you see no evidence that the carrot and diplomacy are working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-comes-a-point-where-you-see-no-evidence-that-the-carrot-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Russia may very well be front and center again in 2020 as they were in 2016 regarding interference in America's presidential election. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/russia-may-very-well-be-front-and-center-again-in-2020-as-they-were/) [Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/) > [Iran has little capacity to deploy force. Its strategic doctrines are defensive, designed to deter invasion long enough for diplomacy to set it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/iran-has-little-capacity-to-deploy-force-its-strategic-doctrines-are/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Expecting accountability from the UN system was akin to expecting a blind dog to catch a flying Frisbee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-soussan/expecting-accountability-from-the-un-system-was-akin-to-expecting-a/) Michael Soussan > [Kolkata is a musical city. What I like about people here is the lack of diplomacy. Some of the best Indian classical musicians belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukhwinder-singh/kolkata-is-a-musical-city-what-i-like-about-people-here-is-the-lack/) [Sukhwinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukhwinder-singh/) > [Obama is hardly the first president to seek rapprochement with our adversaries and reconciliation with our enemies, of course. But his determination to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-hayes/obama-is-hardly-the-first-president-to-seek-rapprochement-with-our/) [Stephen F. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-hayes/) > [Sanctions alone could not stop Iran's nuclear program. But they did help bring Iran to the negotiating table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sanctions-alone-could-not-stop-iran-s-nuclear-program-but-they-did/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/be-polite-write-diplomatically-even-in-a-declaration-of-war-one/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) [Browse all 634 Diplomacy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not easy for any president.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Grenell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-hard-work-and-not-easy-for-any/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diplomacy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-hard-work-and-not-easy-for-any/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/richard-grenell-6195_diplomacy_diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-har_1019843.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not easy for any president.” — Richard Grenell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Grenell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-hard-work-and-not-easy-for-any/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/diplomacy-and-coalition-building-are-hard-work-and-not-easy-for-any/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```