Leadership Quote by Jay Weatherill

There’s a quiet rebuke baked into Weatherill’s promise to “lead in a way that takes people with me.” It’s the kind of line politicians reach for when the air is thick with factionalism: a signal to insiders that the era of hard-nosed, winner-takes-all leadership is either over or at least being cosmetically retired. “Take people with me” isn’t just about consultation; it’s about legitimacy. It implies that decisions made without buy-in have recently carried a cost - electoral, legislative, or reputational - and that Weatherill is repositioning himself as a unifier without admitting past division.

The phrase “I’ve decided” matters. It frames inclusiveness as a deliberate choice, even a personal evolution, rather than a concession forced by polling, caucus numbers, or public backlash. That’s strategic: it preserves authority while adopting the language of collaboration. He’s still the subject of the sentence. The “people” are passengers, not co-authors.

Then comes the neat triangulation: “not only our party but also our state.” He’s widening the moral audience from Labor’s internal health to South Australia’s broader welfare, turning party management into statesmanship. “Good stead” adds a faintly old-fashioned, steady-hands vibe: continuity, prudence, competence. In context, it reads like damage control and brand repair at once - an attempt to calm a nervous base, reassure swing voters, and warn internal critics that unity is now the publicly sanctioned virtue. It’s consensus-talk with a whip hand hidden in the glove.