On Leadership: A Practical Guide

The leadership manual Tony Blair wishes he had when he became prime minister, with personal insights and global examples that show aspiring leaders how to go from talking about change to making change.

Sir Tony Blair learnt the precepts of governing the hard way: by leading a country for over ten years. In that time he came to understand that there were certain key characteristics of successful government that he wished he had known when he started.

Now Sir Tony has written the manual on political leadership that he would have wanted back in 1997, sharing the insights he has gained from his personal experience and from observing other world leaders at first hand, both while he was in office and since, through his Institute’s work with political leaders and governments globally.

Written in short, pithy chapters, packed with examples drawn from all forms of political systems from around the world, the books answers the key questions: How should a leader organize the center of government and his or her own office? How should he or she prioritize and develop the right plan and hire the right personnel, cope with unforeseen events and crises, and balance short-term wins with long-term structural change? What’s the best way to deal with an obstructive or inert bureaucracy, to attract investment, to reform healthcare or education, and to ensure security for the citizen? And how should governments harness the massive opportunities of the 21st-century technological revolution?

This is a masterclass on leadership in general, and political leadership in particular, from a master statesman.

Tony Blair was UK Prime Minister from 1997-2007. He is the Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), a non-profit that works with leaders around the world focusing on strategy, policy, and delivery. He lives in London.