WhatsappWhen Ben Shapiro and Jordan Petersen sit down for a meal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discuss the keys to successful leadership, it is time to sit back, enjoy, and learn a thing or two. These three people are all brilliant, but Shapiro and Petersen understand very well that they are in the company of a larger than life legend on the world stage in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu sat down while in the middle of negotiating his unprecedented 6th term of leadership of the State of Israel.
Bibi places the key aspect of becoming a successful leader on one thing – a broad and deep education. Of course, there are other aspects. But Netanyahu gives his father credit for encouraging him to invest deeply in becoming well grounded in history. It is that extraordinary knowledge base that he looks to in order to find the answers to all of the myriad challenges that he faces every day.
History is filled with precedents that one can learn from. Often, one can see mistakes that were made by predecessors and avoid repeating them. Conversely, one can see brilliant tactical moves made by others to wiggle out of what may seem like an impossible situation. But what Netanyahu possesses is the excellent skill of applying his massive array of lessons from history to nearly every situation that he deals with. Plain and simple, he wipes the floor with so many other leaders due to this ability. Israelis recognize this and see in him a leader who does not merely keep Israel secure. He restores their pride due to his impressive standing on the world stage.
But what Netanyahu also ascribes much of his success to is the ability to listen effectively. He claims he had to work on this for quite some time till he developed proficiency in this too. After all, he noted that in the course of a day, he would spend most of his time working with a limited number of lawmakers. In order to work effectively with them, he had to fully understand what made them tick and what they truly were passionate about so that he could accomplish his goals with them.
What also came out in this exchange is something vital. Netanyahu has faced many setbacks. He has lost elections. He has won elections, yet lost power within the Knesset. He learns and adapts. He is not the same Prime Minister today that he was when he first was elected at the age of 46. The key is to always be learning. Netanyahu is showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, he is probably more assured of a long lasting term now more than at any other time since he was elected Prime Minister.
