What Live Aid taught me about leadership (40 years on)
In July 1985, I was 20 years old and about to board a plane from California to London for my first trip overseas.
I was heading to the London School of Economics to study and I was gaga about British pop music. So when Live Aid lit up screens around the world that week, it lit a spark in me.
It wasn’t just the scale or the stars. It was the audacity of the idea. The sheer energy. The fact that it worked.
And it sparked something lasting: a lifelong interest in Africa, but also a deep curiosity about how big things happen. How movements start. How people lead.
Forty years later, here are the leadership lessons I still take from that day:
· Urgency beats perfection
Bob Geldorf and Midge Ure didn’t wait until every artist was signed or the tech was watertight. They moved fast and figured it out later.
👉 In leadership, too many people wait for perfect. The great ones act while the fire is hot.
· You don’t need permission to lead
Geldof wasn’t in charge of anything. He wasn’t “qualified.” But he saw what was needed. And he stepped up.
👉 Real leadership is taken, not given.
· Coalitions matter more than control
Live Aid united people who didn’t normally play well together, from Bowie to the BBC to Bono.
👉 If your ego needs to own everything, your impact will stay small.
· Let the mission be bigger than you
Geldof consistently redirected focus away from himself and toward the crisis in Ethiopia - a clear signal that the mission mattered more than the messenger.
👉 You can be ambitious without being the hero.
· Visibility drives action
David Bowie insisted on showing footage of the famine in the middle of his set and donations soared.
👉 Don’t just say what you stand for. Show people what’s at stake.
· Purpose unlocks energy
Thousands worked unpaid because they believed in it. Artists ditched tours, networks cancelled ads.
👉 People will give you more than effort if they believe in the why.
· Pressure can be a tool
Geldorf’s outburst “Give us your f***ing money.” It wasn’t polite. But it worked.
👉 There are moments when discomfort is the most effective kind of honesty.
· Think beyond the moment
It wasn’t just one concert. It sparked decades of change, from charity gigs to public consciousness.
👉 Don’t just build for impact. Build for resonance and legacy.
I didn’t know it at the time, but Live Aid taught me a lot about the kind of leader I wanted to become.
Not perfect. Not polished. But willing to move, unite, and care deeply about the outcome.
It’s also shaped the kind of coaching I do now. Helping leaders grow not just their businesses, but their courage. To lead with purpose, act before they're ready, and stay anchored in what really matters, even when things get messy or hard to control.