Member Article

Entrepreneurs get lessons in evil

Business leaders from across the North East have been hearing from the man formerly known as ‘the most evil man in Britain’ in how to handle the country’s national media.

Members of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum heard from Tony Blair’s former press secretary and political communicator, Alastair Campbell.

In the run up to the Great North Run, in which he will again compete, he was in the region to address the Chairman’s Dinner of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum.

“There is a sense that the pace of change has left people powerless,” he said. “The sheer velocity of change has stopped us thinking we have the control we thought we had. A number of powerful forces are shaping these events.”

He said there had been a merger of citizen and consumer which had led to expectations on the public sector that they should work with private sector efficiency; and that the private sector should adopt public sector values.

“Corporations now face an army of billions who scrutinize them constantly through the internet,” he said. “People are much more aggressive and participatory and form an all pervasive presence in our lives.”

He said there was a dominant culture of negativity about people and institutions who were most written about.

“Be bold, particularly with the more noisy and aggressive media,” he said. “You decide what you want to cut through then work out a plan.

“Stay calm in a crisis and don’t get driven into one when there isn’t one. Leadership is more important than listening. If you are not careful you will spend all your time listening. You have to make a decision. But patience can be a virtue.”

For more information, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .