Climbing ladders is never easy. Some enjoy staying on their rungs, others scamper upwards furiously, but most just take the climb one step at a time. It doesn’t just take physical skills and finesse though as practising ladder diplomacy is an art which when wielded with poise becomes incredibly powerful.

In an ascent fraught with landmines, one has to be careful not to trample on fingers and toes or risk getting yanked down some day unknowingly. Unfortunately, that’s not the only source of risk as those who have been climbing for longer may feel left out or threatened when overtaken.

A golden advice: Tread carefully on your way up ‘cos you might meet them again on your way down. Hence much like in global relationship building, being adept at diplomacy is a key success factor. And that means showing humility and respect to everyone regardless of one’s climbing pace and relative position.