For strictly educational purposes, this column frequently highlights truly atrocious TV interview performances around the world.
It typically spotlights British, American and, occasionally, even Australian interviewees – struggling under pressure from challenging circumstances and tough media questioners.
However, sometimes a highly impressive interview performance shines out in a way that’s equally deserving of attention.
One such impressive interview has been given by a very new leader on the world stage in difficult fast-changing times.
This star performer is a highly articulate English-speaking German.
He’s the newly-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
GERMANY’S NEW STRAIGHT-TALKER FOR TOPSY-TURVY TIMES
In my time as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation foreign correspondent based in Berlin straight after the fall of the city’s infamous people-dividing wall, I naturally learned a lot about Germans.
I found them – in West Germany and East Germany and then following their reunification into a single nation again – to be typically serious, organised, diligent and direct.
And they were usually a lot more friendly than they’re given credit for!
These qualities were – and are – often exhibited in German media interview performances that are powerful, logical and persuasive.
Now the straight-talking German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is demonstrating that he ranks impressively within the elite category of outstandingly competent media interview performers in challenging times.
Friedrich Merz’s big interview with the BBC – which took place on his first visit to Britain as chancellor – is of particular significance because it was conducted amidst the current global upsurge of so-called “VUCA”.
VUCA involves increasing:
• Volatility
• Uncertainty
• Complexity
• & Ambiguity
2025 has seen VUCA reach new heights – fuelled by the often erratic and regularly conflicting words and actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
This year’s VUCA upsurge is further reinforced by the dastardly actions and often untruthful statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin – about the war he started in Ukraine and which he continues despite all efforts to stop it both on and off the battlefield.
From the moment of his election victory in May, Chancellor Merz has voiced concern that President Donald Trump is not as unwavering in his support for defending European democracies as his predecessors.
Friedrich Merz knows that American presidents since the end of World War Two – including Franklin Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barrack Obama and Joe Biden – were far more concerned with protecting European democracies from the threat posed by Moscow than is Donald Trump.
But rather than merely complaining about Donald Trump’s indifference towards Europe, Friedrich Merz is heroically embracing the new reality and is making sure Germany and other European NATO members spend more of their own funds on defence.
And because Chancellor Merz is putting Germany’s money where his mouth is, he’s in a strong position to give powerful answers to the media on this subject.
So amidst the VUCA exacerbated by Presidents Trump and Putin, Chancellor Merz comes across as being far more stable and trustworthy than either of them.
His media answers are direct and open – meaning that TV viewers, including other national leaders, can feel they know where they stand with him.
This is something that leaders in business can learn from, by seeing how:
+ In the midst of volatility, you can project stability
+ In the midst of uncertainty, you can speak reassuringly about those certainties that you can control
+ In the midst of complexity, you can speak in simple easy-to-follow sentences
+ In the midst of Trump-like and Putin-like ambiguity, you can directly say what you mean – and mean what you say.
To do all this while speaking in a language which is not your mother tongue is impressive on the part of Friedrich Merz.
The result is that, in the following interview, Chancellor Merz comes across as a pillar of stability – in contrast to the less reliable leaders of two physically much larger countries.
Speaking as a leader in ever-shifting VUCA circumstances is a learnable skill that current times require.
Meanwhile there is one area where Friedrich Merz has scope for significant improvement as an interviewee.
He would come across as more personable and colourful if he injected more light and shade into his delivery style.
This, too, is learnable.
Nonetheless, Chancellor Merz’s commendable BBC appearance demonstrates high levels of interview response skills.
You can watch a significant extract of the interview here – followed by a BBC analysis of how Friedrich Merz is positioning Germany in global affairs.
If you and/or members of your team need to become better prepared to give great answers in media interviews during our topsy-turvy times, details are set out here:
https://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media-master-classes/
Sessions can be booked across the United Kingdom – and on the six continents where I work.
(This has so far excluded the Antarctic.)
The following video has been recorded on England’s south-west coast – and is inspired by a local fictional TV personality who routinely gives abysmal answers to questions.
He’s the inept hotel-keeper at Fawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty.
The video has been made in Torquay – the town where Basil Fawlty gives appalling answers to reasonable and unreasonable questions alike.
And if you need a reminder of exactly how rudely Basil Fawlty interacts with his less-than-polite guests, here he is giving a series of hilariously provocative answers to questions from the obnoxious Mrs Richards.
For all those who need it, a guide to my golden formulae for giving great answers is available online.
Check out the paperback, the Kindle and audiobook versions of “Great Answers To Tough Questions At Work” – published by Wiley – by clicking here:
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Answers-Tough-Questions
If you need training sessions and/or a conference keynote on giving great answers that are more like those of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – and less like those of Basil Fawlty – this can be arranged!