TBlair’s first book since 2010’s A Journey is an intriguing treatise on leadership, but I suspect some of its intended audience will wish Blair had delved deeper into his own experiences to turn a general interest book into something more original and insightful.
Before I go into detail, let me make some disclosures. The political animosity between Labour and the SNP runs so deep that it would have been almost impossible for me to even utter the slightest praise for the former First Minister while I was still in frontline politics. It would have caused outrage among my supporters. It would have been tantamount to political suicide for an aspiring Labour politician to say anything positive about me. Indeed, this is one of the problems with our tribal politics that he rightly rails against.
But now that I’ve stepped back from the front lines, I can speak more frankly. While there are many things I disagree with on Blair (deeply on Iraq), I believe history will and should judge him much more leniently than contemporary public opinion. Indeed, it may be no coincidence that the parts of the book that seem to come from a very personal place are about the need for leaders to protect their legacies. “Facts remain facts, but the shades, the interpretations, the framing of motivations and influences – these are judgements, and the judge needs to hear at least both sides.”
As the title suggests, this is a book about political leadership, specifically leading a government. It answers important questions: What are the qualities, skills and mindsets that make a good leader? What should a leader do, and what should he avoid, to maximise his chances of success? Blair is trying to define a phenomenon that is difficult to objectively describe: effective leadership, especially in the world of politics, where, as he points out, no formal qualifications, experience or training are required. What he offers is clearly a handbook, a practical guide to good governance. His target audience is clearly current and future leaders, and his advice is spot on. I found myself nodding along many times.
Ironically, I think those of us with actual leadership experience are the ones who will be least satisfied with this book. It’s not that his advice is wrong; quite the opposite. But most leaders know the importance of making and following a plan, managing time effectively, prioritizing, understanding the difference between tactics and strategy, prioritizing policy over politics, being willing to accept unpopular decisions, and following through.
For a politician who claims to have been a radical leader, he appears to be very much bound by vested interests.
The problem is that much of it falls into the category of “easier said than done” — Blair pays lip service to it, but doesn’t address the myriad factors that derail leaders every day, nor does he offer practical advice on how to overcome those challenges.
On Leadership would have been immeasurably richer if it had included some case studies of his struggles to follow his own advice while in office, with insights into how he got back on track or failed to do so. Indeed, one of the odd things about the book is how little consideration there is of his own strengths and weaknesses.
To be fair, he does state candidly, “This is not a book about my leadership qualities or lack thereof. Rather, it is a book about what I have learned.” I understand his desire to separate his subject from the strong opinions people have of him, but I think the book would have been better and more useful if he had made more of a connection between the two parts of this quote.
There are other interesting hidden points in the book, perhaps unintentional insights into his worldview. He declares that “democracy is the best and greatest form of government,” and while he certainly means it, he gives the impression that democracy is not an absolute requirement. If another form of government works more effectively, he is open to it. One of the chapter titles, “Democracy or Not, It All Depends on the Practice,” certainly suggests as much.
For a politician who claims to have been a radical leader with some legitimacy, he also seems very tied to vested interests. Business knows best seems to be the watchword, and should be as free as possible from taxes and regulations. In this era of growing inequality and economic exclusion, some reflection on how leaders can harness the power of business to build good societies and strong economies would have been enlightening.
He’s really shortsighted when it comes to the power of technology, especially AI, and seems like something of a fanboy when it comes to people like the Elon Musks of this world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m completely with him about the transformative potential of AI and the need for leaders to embrace it. But I wish he’d offered some perspective on what those risks are and how they can be mitigated, rather than just pointing out, as he does, “there are mind-boggling risks to all of this” and leaving it at that.
The best parts of this book – and the really great parts – are the parts where it offers advice on how to deal with the personal burdens that come with leadership, from dealing with the pressures of social media to developing backwaters to avoiding arrogance and knowing when to step down.
There is much to learn from Leadership and I am glad that Blair wrote it. Anyone interested in the art of governing, even in the abstract, will find the book fascinating. And for political leaders, or those who aspire to be political leaders, it is a book worth investing your time in. In fact, I wish I had read it before I became a senior political leader. But if Blair had poured more of himself and his experiences into it, and challenged his own ideas further, a good book could have become a really great one.
Tony Blair’s On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century is published by Hutchinson Heinemann (£25). To support the Guardian and Observer, buy it at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery costs may apply.