Former U.K. prime minister Theresa May says ex-world leaders need to stop commenting on everything: ‘be a measured voice’
Source: Fortune
Theresa May, Britain’s ex-prime minister, says that rather than reaching for social media the second major news breaks, former world leaders would be better off taking a step back and bringing a “measured voice” to the table. For female leaders in particular, she advises: “Don’t react in the way you think other people think you should react.”
“Be a measured voice.” That is the advice former U.K. prime minister Theresa May has for fellow ex-world leaders.
Speaking on stage in Riyadh at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women International summit, the British politician—who served as premier from July 2016 to July 2019—said that instead of reacting to live events on social media, her peers should sit back and be more picky about what they comment on.
“It’s important for former world leaders to not feel that they have to constantly be saying something about what is happening,” May stressed. “Be a voice, a measured voice, perhaps in the background. Sometimes you can work with people who are in leadership positions.”
“As a former leader you can, from time to time, raise your voice and make points about things that are happening,” she said. One time she did that was during the pandemic. “I actually wrote about what I thought we should have seen, which was a greater international coming together to deal with this, rather than this retreating behind country borders.”
“So it’s about raising your voice from time to time, not feeling you’re constantly commenting on everything.”
Read full article published by Fortune on 21 May 2025.
Image by Fortune
Theresa May, Britain’s ex-prime minister, says that rather than reaching for social media the second major news breaks, former world leaders would be better off taking a step back and bringing a “measured voice” to the table. For female leaders in particular, she advises: “Don’t react in the way you think other people think you should react.”
“Be a measured voice.” That is the advice former U.K. prime minister Theresa May has for fellow ex-world leaders.
Speaking on stage in Riyadh at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women International summit, the British politician—who served as premier from July 2016 to July 2019—said that instead of reacting to live events on social media, her peers should sit back and be more picky about what they comment on.
“It’s important for former world leaders to not feel that they have to constantly be saying something about what is happening,” May stressed. “Be a voice, a measured voice, perhaps in the background. Sometimes you can work with people who are in leadership positions.”
“As a former leader you can, from time to time, raise your voice and make points about things that are happening,” she said. One time she did that was during the pandemic. “I actually wrote about what I thought we should have seen, which was a greater international coming together to deal with this, rather than this retreating behind country borders.”
“So it’s about raising your voice from time to time, not feeling you’re constantly commenting on everything.”
Read full article published by Fortune on 21 May 2025.
Image by Fortune