Joe Clark: The Courage to See Our Limits
This week, we highlight the wisdom of the Right Honourable Joe Clark, 16th Prime Minister of Canada and former Foreign Minister. In his recent Leadership Lab conversation, Clark shared his perspective on what distinguishes truly effective leaders:
Joe Clark: "A critical matter is to recognise your own limitations, and the limitations others may be reluctant to point out to you."
Quiet Authority in a Noisy World
Clark’s words carry the weight of a lifetime spent in demanding public roles. As Prime Minister and as Canada’s Foreign Minister, he relied on the expertise of public servants and humanitarian partners to navigate complex crises where lives were at stake. Whether authorising a risky mission to protect hostages in Tehran, championing action during famine, or pushing for stronger measures against apartheid, he consistently highlighted the courage of others rather than his own record. What stands out in his Leadership Lab conversation is not a story of heroic decisions made in isolation, but of attentive listening and shared responsibility. Clark speaks about surrounding yourself with people who will tell you uncomfortable truths and about the danger of performative politics, where commentary matters more than action and visibility eclipses impact. In a time of megaphone diplomacy, his example is of a leader who chooses consultation, considered judgement and moral clarity over spectacle.
Humility as a Discipline
Clark's insight invites us to rethink humility. It is not a soft quality or a polite extra. Recognising your own limitations, and actively seeking out those that others may hesitate to name, is a demanding discipline. It asks leaders to accept that what they do not know outweighs what they do know, to build teams with the freedom to question and to challenge, and to welcome correction before decisions harm those they are meant to help.
This form of humility protects leaders from the illusion of infallibility. It also protects communities, because decisions are tested against a wider range of experience and expertise. For Clark, the most admirable leaders he knew were not those who believed rules did not apply to them, but those who understood the constraints of their own perspective and invited others to strengthen it.
Values in Focus
Clark’s message aligns strongly with the Laidlaw value of #Good and the Oxford Character Project virtue of #Humility. Being good means using power in the service of others, not for personal prominence. It calls leaders to ask who is affected by their decisions and whether those people have truly been heard. Humility means recognising that our insight is partial and that our character is revealed in how we respond when others point out what we have missed.
Together, these qualities challenge the trend towards visibility without substance. They call emerging leaders to seek honest feedback, to resist the pull of performative leadership, and to measure success not by profile but by the lives improved through thoughtful, collective action.
A Call to Reflect
As you think about Joe Clark's words, we invite you to reflect and share in the comments: What limitations have you had to acknowledge in your own leadership? How do you create space for others to challenge your thinking? What might change if you approached your next decision by first asking what you do not yet understand?
Listen to the full Leadership Lab conversation with the Right Honourable Joe Clark here ,where he explores quiet leadership in a noisy world, the dangers of megaphone diplomacy, and why getting beyond yourself is critical for making real impact.