Interview with Iain Dale: A British View of Change Agents and Government
March 31, 2006
A great friend of mine, and well known political commentator has worked in and around the UK government since he was in college. Iain Dale is a long time Margaret Thatcher supporter, who has worked with and advised senior political leaders in the UK for many years. In addition to his political work, Iain is also a writer, editor and entrepreneur. Thousands of people in the UK and beyond read his web log daily, and it has become a trusted source for breaking news (and a bit of gossip) -- proof that blogs have become powerful and lasting tools of opinion dissemination.
Iain Dale took the plunge into retail politics last year when he competed for a seat in the UK House of Commons. Although Iain did not win that election, he is considering another run for office. While reading this interview, keep in mind that Iain is politically right of center, coloring his point of view. Still, his advice is sound, and resonates with many ideas from the change agent paper.
1) What does the term Change Agent mean to you? Is it a term that is used in government in the UK?
Iain Dale: I have never heard the term used here, but to me the term ‘change agent’ signifies someone who is capable of identifying how an organization needs to change and is then able to devise a strategy to enable that change to be brought about.
2) Who are people in the UK government who are change agents? Why do you consider them change agents?
Iain Dale: Tony Blair would no doubt say he is an agent of change as he makes great play of wanting to reform public services. However, he is blocked at every move by his Chancellor of the Exchequer and likely successor Gordon Brown, who is the antithesis of a change agent. Indeed, he is a road block to change. He mouths platitudes of change but can’t walk the walk. Margaret Thatcher is probably the best example of a Change Agent. She knew what was wrong with Britain, diagnosed the cure and then implemented it. It was painful at times, as most medicines are. But in the end the patient recovered!
3) Why did you run for Parliament? Did you think of yourself as a change agent as you are running for the seat?
Iain Dale: Anyone who does not view themselves as a change agent should keep out of politics. Surely anyone who runs for office does so because they want to change things. They may not be huge things and they may only matter to a local community, or even one street, but they still need changing. I decided to run because I thought I could bring about more change than the people already running things. Sadly, the electorate thought differently!
4) What have you learned about leadership through your time in business and your time in government?
Iain Dale: Leadership is about persuasion, team building and coalition building. It’s very rare that a single person, particularly someone a fair way down the political food chain, can bring about meaningful change along. He therefore needs to persuade various people, bodies and organizations to join a coalition to argue for change. I learned this very early on in my career when I helped lead a campaign to persuade the Thatcher government to abolish a piece of government legislation which gave dockworkers enhanced employment rights and was strangling competitiveness in British ports. We succeeded, and there has been a revolution in economic activity in British ports as a result. If I never achieve anything else in my life, I can look back on that having succeeded in being a Change Agent.
5) Why does it take government agencies so long to change and adapt to new policies, rule sets etc.? What can the UK government do to reform that? If you were serving in Parliament now, what would you do to change government?
Iain Dale: It is in the mindset of government to do nothing - and do nothing very quickly. Government is like an oil tanker. To turn it round takes a long time. It is even worse in the UK because our civil servants are all career government officials. The only political appointees are Ministers. A weak Minister will always be dominated by his civil servants, as exemplified in the excellent BBC comedy sitcom, Yes Minister. In order to effect radical change, the Cabinet member in charge of a government department must be strong willed and pig headed and be willing to make enemies.
6) What advice would you give to aspiring change agents as they consider careers in the UK Government?
Iain Dale: Be prepared for a life of frustration. People who want to change things in government are always regarded with great suspicion. Be a leader. Be tough. Be resolute. Don’t be afraid to make enemies. But stick to your guns and you’ll prevail.
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