I’ve sat down with several heads of state – from India’s Narendra Modi to the UK’s Rishi Sunak – and distilled a few recurring insights that shape how I think about leadership, success, and negotiation.
I would only consider politics if I could bring change; good intentions alone don’t change a society.
A politician also needs the right platform and enough influence to make that change happen.
Leaders know what people already think of them before the conversation even starts, and they work with those assumptions, biases and preconceived notions.
Both politicians and comedians are very smart communicators who must think on their feet, say the right thing at the right moment, and choose words carefully in real time with little preparation.
Success is relative and changes over time; life’s volatility means things can change completely from one day to the next, making success less permanent than people imagine.
In a negotiation people often disagree with the person more than the idea, so it helps to know who’s likely to agree or disagree with you before you walk in.