Last week on Radio 4, Christine Lagarde ‘the charismatic French Finance Minister’ was interviewed on her bid to be Managing Director of the IMF. The session started by questioning whether it was right that another European should be selected. Her reply avoided the issue “It should be a good candidate with an open, transparent, merit based process. What matters are the skills, experience, enthusiasm, expertise, leadership and willingness.”

Having neatly set up the criteria, she then, with compelling composure, delivered her pitch adopting the classic ‘rule of three’ structure that ensured her argument was both powerful and easy to follow. The interviewer: “Why should you get the job?”

Chritine Lagarde:

” First of all because I want to be the Managing Director of the IMF and when you really desire something you are prepared to give your best and spend all your energy  on serving the institution.

Number two, I think I can do this job. When you look at the IMF, its culture, its diversity, its mission and when I know who I am and what I have done in the past, I know that I can do it. 

Thirdly, I would be extremely honoured and proud to serve the IMF. It is a critical institute at this time playing a major role in the international  crisis and needs to continuing doing so….I have a bit of a track record (having referrenced  her ‘modest’ success as Finance Minister) when it comes to focussing on the issues, reaching out to people and drawing a consensus.”

You need to listen to the interview to get the full impact of her delivery. (BBCiplayer, Radio 4, Friday). Performing like this she must be a shoe-in for the job, assuming the IMF does not do a FIFA.