Leaders: Who are they?
It was great to see Gavin Esler earlier this week, not in the Newsnight studio but at our offices, chatting about his new book on leadership. For someone who’s interviewed many of the world’s most powerful individuals, he certainly knows his subject! As part of his research he has spoken to everyone from Margaret Thatcher to Bill Clinton to… Dolly Parton (Tennessee’s second biggest employer – you really do learn something new every day).
Without giving away too much – the book’s not out until later this year – Gavin reckons leadership is about telling a story, whether it’s an individual or a group of people. Where many, particularly political, leaders have failed is through their inability or reluctance to explain who they are.