Within pages, he is describing his own leadership style in similar terms, an approach learned, like Hawke, from the working in the trade union movement.
“Some people think strong leadership means telling people what they must do or being the smartest person in the room. That’s wasn’t my view as a unionist, and nor is it my view now as Labor leader. Real leadership shows that consensus and negotiation is a sign of strength, not weakness. Real leadership means understanding the minimum and the maximum that people will accept. You go for the maximum, yet always understand the minimum. In every negotiation I have been involved in, I refer to the 90:10 rule—let’s work on the 90% we agree on, not the 10% where we differ. This is the belief I have carried into politics.
“As Labor leader, I still think like an organiser. Whether it’s dealing with the rising influence of vested interests or solving a community-level problem, empowering people is the key. Relationships are crucial: get people to come together, define their position and work from there. Don’t begin with a pure ideological solution. Take account of all viewpoints.”
