Northern Ireland experienced a brutal 30-year civil conflict that resulted in the deaths of over 3,500 people.

That conflict ended 26 years ago with the Good Friday Agreement.

An achievement which was greatly aided by U.S. diplomat George Mitchell.

This remarkable man displayed a level of leadership that serves as a beacon of inspiration at many levels—particularly in his approach to partnering with the opposing political party.

“But shortly after I was elected majority leader, I met with Bob Dole, who was then the Republican leader. I said, “I know you’ve been around for many years and know much more than I do, but in my relatively short time, I’ve reached the conclusion that managing the Senate is impossible without some level of trust between the two leaders. So I’m here to tell you how I intend to behave toward you and ask you to behave toward me in the same way.” I told him that I would never surprise him. I would give him as much notice as possible of every action I intended to take so that he could consider his response. I would never criticize him personally or try to embarrass him. I would always be available to him if he had a concern, question, or issue he wanted to raise. I would, to the extent humanly possible, always keep my word. And I could tell he was delighted. We shook hands, and never once since has a harsh word passed between us in public or in private.”

Where is our George Mitchell?