On Courage and Vocation with Ambassador Barbara Leaf
Podcast: The Public Service ProjectPublished On: Wed May 06 2026
Description: Ambassador Barbara Leaf is a career public servant with over 3 decades of experience, most recently serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, where she was responsible for the U.S. relationship with 18 countries from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula. She's a frequent guest on media outlets as an expert on the Middle East, but she's here to speak candidly about her life and career. She shares a bit about her childhood, reflects on experiences (and moments of career malaise) that taught her important things about herself, and describes how healthy relationships with other countries directly benefit Americans. In a parallel universe, she may have opened a little book shop, but it's hard to even imagine her not crossing the globe and meeting with foreign dignitaries. She is whip smart, serious about her work, and refreshingly open about the reality of life in the Foreign Service.
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