A couple of weeks ago, Matt and I were fortunate enough to be invited by Visy to see Tony Blair talk at the Sydney Convention Centre.

Apart from presenting the opportunity to get a photo to stick on the website and Facebook group (from which the most popular comment was, 'I didn't know Madame Toussards had opened in Sydney') he had a few interesting things to say on leadership.

After a beer or two with lunch, the exact words evade me but I did put the basics down in my phone, so here they are, mildly paraphrased. On leadership: 'If you're going to lead, you're going to get criticised.' 'You've got to step up when others step back'

On the Middle East and success in Northern Ireland: 'You've just got to never give up. If you never give up you eventually win.'

And my favourite part of his talk, in which he talked about how you create change: 'First they tell you it's going to be a disaster. Then they fight you. Then, when it's all done, you wish you'd gone further.'

Reminds me of that famous Ghandi quote: 'First the ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.'

Also had a good chat with Bob Hawke who is now spending his time between business in China and the golf course.

We had a photo with him too but, alas, they never sent it to us.