The moment former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill grasped the importance of clear vision in leadership was also when – in a twist of irony – his state was plunged into darkness. 

“I discovered the power of [marking out an inspirational vision] in a crisis when I was Premier, when we had the statewide blackout,” Weatherill told Helen McCabe on the FW Leadership Series podcast. 

Today, Weatherill operates above the political fray, playing key roles in not-for-profits such as the Minderoo Foundation, where he leads the ‘Thrive by Five’ early childhood development campaign. He’s also the executive director of democracy at McKinnon, an independent foundation supporting ethical political leadership.

In this interview, he reflected on the importance of vision and how he creates space for respectful disagreement. Here are three of our favourite takeaways. 

A man on the moon

In 2016, when South Australia was hit by a ‘once in 50 years’ storm that caused a complete grid failure and triggered a state-wide electricity blackout, Weatherill learned the importance of “marking out an inspirational vision” as a leader. 

“I was just staggered with how motivating that was when everybody [had their North Star],” he said. 

“It just sets people to work. The most unifying thing you can do as a leader is to set a bold, clear vision.”

To illustrate this point, Weatherill recalled a “famous story” about NASA during the space race. 

“You’d ask the cleaner at NASA what their job is, and [they’d say] it’s to put a man on the moon,” he said. “Everybody knew where they stood in relation to the central mission.”

Not afraid to micromanage 

Weatherill pointed out what he believes is a common misconception about leadership. 

“Everybody says don’t micromanage. Well, sometimes you have to,” he said. 

“Sometimes there are some things that, especially if they’re not going well, you actually have to get down and get your hands dirty and stay in the detail on the shop floor, as it were, until it’s fixed.”

Rising above the divide 

Weatherill also spoke about how he navigates polarisation and hot button issues as a leader who now works outside of politics.  

He didn’t pretend to have all the answers. But he reflected on how creating space for respectful disagreement is key to rising above division. 

“It seems to me the challenge [as a leader]  … is to somehow get people to understand another perspective,” he said. 

“[You’ve got] to take them on a journey from where they are to where you want them to be.”