Tony Blair – “The Irreducible Core” (LS09)

Tony Blair has been a fascinating figure to me ever since an article I read about him in Time a few years back that highlighted his new role as envoy to the Middle East and the place his faith has had in his life and work.

So, when I heard Tony Blair was being interviewed at the Leadership Summit, I was intrigued at the least. Here are a few highlights of Jim Mellado’s interview with Blair

When Mellado, asked Blair about making tough calls that are unpopular in leadership, Blair unapologetically faced into the reality that leaders struggle with in relation to others.

One of the toughest things about leadership is that most people like to be liked … the thing about leadership is that you take the decision inside yourself and you choose to stand for it … the part of leadership is having that inner core – the irreducible core – the thing that can’t be chipped away at – it’s where I stand… You’re then faced with the fact that that view is uncomfortable to people … you can’t yield on that, you’ve got to stick with that

He indicated that sometimes holding to this ‘irreducible core’ means being prepared to walk away. He said: “This position matters to me, but it doesn’t matter more to me than doing the right thing in the way I believe.”

At the end of the interview, when asked what he would say to the over 100,000 leaders listening in on this conversation, Blair said:

Leadership is a blessing. It’s a gift – a gift that you’ve been given. And a gift that you can use for others … It’s something that’s worth doing … Without a leader, things don’t get done. The joy of getting something done makes all the pain worthwhile. It’s a blessing and a gift from God

To follow this up, Bill Hybels brought us back to the earliest part of the interview with Tony Blair with this question to ponder:

What is my irreducible core? If you ask me to compromise on this, then the deal is over.