The
Eloquence of Tony Blair
I write this piece while on a business trip in Europe on the day that Tony Blair stepped down as the
Prime Minister of Great Britain. Quite simply, while I do not share all of his politics, I am deeply
saddened to see him go. There are plenty of Blair retrospectives that focus on his perceived failures – Iraq
chief among them. But let’s for a moment focus on what should be missed from Blair.
From a political standpoint, history should, in the opinion of this writer, judge
him kindly despite current popular opinion of the Iraq War. He is the first Labour
Party leader in the history of the United Kingdom to be elected in three consecutive
General Elections. During his ten years as Prime Minister, he led the peace negotiations
to resolve the longstanding conflict in Northern Ireland, an issue which had stymied
his predecessors for generations. And his supporters point to real improvements in
the British economy as well as significant change in the health care and educational
systems in his country.
What I find most compelling about Blair is his unparalleled abilities as a speaker
and a communicator. No other leader in my lifetime has possessed his combination
of prepared and spontaneous public speaking skills. Regardless of the moment or the
format, I have rarely heard him deliver words that were anything less than eloquent,
thoughtful and appropriate – no small feat given the 24-hour news coverage
our modern leaders must endure.
Many leaders speak well from prepared texts in ultracontrolled environments – even
President George W. Bush has mastered that move. But Blair truly shines in such moments.
Witness his many public comments after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in
the United States or the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks in Europe. At critical moments
that call for great oratory, no one speaks with a greater combination of thought and emotion
than Blair.
The true test of the great communicator is the ability to speak extemporaneously
on the large stage and capture the emotion of the people you lead. There is no better
example than Blair’s comments after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. (The
clip can be found online at YouTube.com.)
Here’s the key point. I am not suggesting that simply because Blair is a great
public speaker that we should ignore his record in other areas. Certainly domestic
and international policy decisions are more important in the lives of real people
than the ability to give a great speech. However, successful leadership is almost
always dependent, to some degree, on the leader’s ability to motivate and persuade
his or her constituency.
Successful leadership requires the ability to articulate the message with both head and heart.
Successful leadership requires the ability to build trust with the spoken word. Blair
mastered those skills. While history may judge some of his policies and decisions
harshly, we should acknowledge his unparalleled ability to motivate, persuade and
speak from both head and heart.
While it is clear he will continue to play a large role on the world stage, I for
one will miss having Blair front and center on a daily basis.
• Dean M. Brenner
June 27, 2007
Paris, France
 Beacon Issue -
July 2007
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