SPEAKING OUT - Mikhail Gorbachev

Last President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Laureate

I now know why Russians always appear glum - they have to sit through endless speeches by their leaders.

Addressing business delegates at the Leaders in London conference, Mikhail Gorbachev managed to make us feel we were members of the Soviet praesidium settling in for a long session. As if to remind us of what used to be, before he emerged on stage, we were treated to a triumphalist video of people he's met - from Reagan to Thatcher - and honours he's received - including the Nobel Prize and Time Magazine's Man of the Decade award. Then he appeared.

At 74, Gorby still looks good - tanned and sturdy - but he's unsmiling and comes across as a sad old teddy bear. The audience were hoping for insights they could apply in their businesses. We'd have loved insider stuff from what was once the most secretive regime in the world. What we got was a rambling trip down memory lane, interminable observations on the nature of mainly political leadership and a sprinkling of self- justification. . . "In a global world we can no longer use old methods"; "ninety percent of all the world's discoveries were made in the 20th century - who knows what the 21st century will bring"; "people blame me for the break up of the Soviet Union - but that was down to Yeltsin. Perestroika wasn't meant to be like that."

Generally we were left wanting more, but not for the right reasons. It didn't help that the entire 55 minute speech was simultaneously translated by the hapless Pavel, who although accurate, imbued the speech with all the savour of a plate of cold borscht.

Key Moment: He recalled advising Mrs Thatcher, who fifteen years after being elected Tory leader was still advocating her original policies, "Margaret, open the windows. Look out. The world has changed!".

Key lesson: Even if you are a world leader, and especially if you are being translated into another language, you must relate to your audience to succeed. That means giving them "news they can use"..

Silver tongue or foot in mouth? Silver Tongue

 

 

This article was written by Khalid Aziz for and features in Management Today Magazine.
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