An Interview with Tony Blair (videocast)
Tony Blair (Interview with Jim Mellado)
When did you first realize you are a leader?
You look at someone in position of leadership and assume they are super confident and certain. I never felt that. I always felt like a very normal person in an abnormal situation.
The problem with conventional wisdom can sometimes just be the comfortable thing to do. Often the comfortable thing to do is the very wrong thing to do.
One of the toughest things about leadership is that most people liked to be liked. I prefer to be popular. :) You have to take a position inside yourself that you see as non-negotiable and you don't bend on those. Part of leadership is about defining that irreducible core, the thing that can not be chipped away at. This is where I stand. You have to have that clear view. You may have doubt and questioned, but you have now come to this view. This view you have come to is uncomfortable to others, you can not yield on the view for popularity.
The final duty I owed my country was to do what I thought was right and if they disagreed, they would vote me out of office. Say what you believe, stand by it, and if necessary, fall by it.
I found it was a great assistance to me to be prepared to walk away, not in petulant way. Be prepared to say, "This position matters to me. But, it doesn't matter more to me than doing the right thing."
How did you know in those moments when to listen to the criticism and make adjustments and when to push through it?
Your intuition tells you. You will know. You do have to be able to change your mind. See the facts and accept them.
How does a leader handle doubt in difficult decisions? How public are you with those that you are leading about your doubt?
Doubt is best expressed as deep reflection and consideration, whether or not what you are doing it is right. Doubt is good. But there comes a moment, where you put aside the fear that comes with the moment of decision, when you hit the open sea, when the moment comes, you have to be willing and able to decide, then take the responsibility.
Two types of people: Those making commentary and those who are actually making decisions and shaping the world.
What role has faith played in your leadership?
If you are of religious faith it is the most important thing in your life, it would be odd if it didn't have an impact on what you do. It's sustains me enormously. I became increasingly convinced: 1. Faith and it's role in the world is an enormously potent force for good or bad. 2. I believed the single most important thing, faith plays progressive and constructive role in the 21st century.
I'm Christian and I will remain a Christian. It's good to be able to think we can as people of faith do things together. we won't change our creedal beliefs, but we can take action together.
You have been the key player in historic negotiations. What would your wife would say are your best qualities that make you a good negotiator?
Both parties would constantly criticize me. I would have to not let that stop me and not respond in like. There is a great difference between tactics and strategy. Strategy is the goal you are trying to achieve and that's based on principle. To get there it will require a lot of compromises in tactics along the way. You have to allow for creative ambiguity. You measure it against your strategic goal to make sure you aren't compromising the ultimate goal as you move forward, while allow for give and take.
Leaders take a lot of hits, pain and disappointment. How do you deal with that?
By counting my blessings. I get home, all the abuse is heaped on me, I'm ticked off, and my wife would say, "What are you complaining about. IT's a privilege to do this job." You can never forget that. Every day I was doing that job, it was a privilege. Whatever pain or disappointment you accumulate it's like nothing compared to the blessings you have had. Look how much I have been given.
Speak into the lives of 120,000 church leaders around the world...
Leadership is a blessing. It's a gift you've been giving. A gift you can use to help others. No matter how difficult, it's something worth your life. It is your duty. The way the world around you works, no matter what your leadership context, in that position, without the leader, things don't get done. The joy of getting it done, makes all the pain worthwhile.
WHAT IS MY IRREDUCIBLE CORE? As leaders we must know this.
Wow.. I hope to be able to join this kind of leadership training :-)
Posted by: edwin joseph | August 09, 2009 at 01:46 AM