REDEFINING LEADERSHIP

What makes leaders tick? The question has bothered social scientists for a long time. But the welter of research and the theory jungle has hardly led to any kind of conclusion. However, most agree that it’s the ability to connect with followers. But what is this ability? Is it the personal charisma that mesmerises the followers? Or the mix of traits constituting the leader’s personality like appearance, communication styles, mannerisms, etc. Theories don’t help. This is the reason there is so much focus on leadership development training. Rightly so, as leadership makes the critical difference between success and failure. Though managements make big investments to develop leadership, they draw basic insights from political leaders. Thus organisations and nations have one thing in common — they all need to be led by person’s who can hold sway over the followers.

Against this backdrop, the qualities that make leaders tick need to be discussed. And what better a model than the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He proved pollsters and psephologists wrong. In fact, what he did is historic. No Prime Minister in the country had ever done this — spending so much time in a State election. It was a great risk. What if UP had not gone the BJP’s way? His very leadership would have come under cloud. More so, because he had already burnt his fingers in the past in the Delhi and the Bihar Assembly Elections. Moreover, the UP elections were held in the aftermath of demonetisation, a drastic action that was widely criticised and its benefits not yet discernible. Actually,it had put a question mark on his leadership style. Yet, he went ahead, undeterred and unapologetic. That is one quality that makes leaders tick. Take a decision, own it and stand by it. Decisiveness rather than being fickle is what brings the admiration of the people. The way in which the Prime Minister went on defending demonetisation offers a vital lesson on leadership. He took the act to the masses in a unique way, challenging his detractors whole hog, without doubt or regret. And the UP results proved that he could connect with the people convincingly.

It was the sheer dint of faith in his actions that helped him achieve this. UP was crucial and it was one major battleground where demonetisation was challenged. It was a test where failure could have proved costly. Rather than playing safe, he went without restraint, aggressively with all his body, all his mind, all his soul. Perhaps it was this confidence that made his opponents sound shaky in their convictions. This made the difference as they could not in any way pierce many holes in demonetisation. It is the leader’s conviction that instils doubts in his opponents.

Another significant aspect was his aggressive strategy. What he did in Varanasi has never been done. No PM would have spent so much time in one parliamentary constituency, that too his own, in a State election. Particularly when initial reports were not very encouraging. The ground report would have made other leaders play safe so that if things went wrong, an escape route was there. Modi did the opposite. And turned the tide by sweeping the opposition in Varanasi lock, stock and barrel. He chose to lead from the front, willing to accept the results for his actions, and gave hundred percent for the cause dear to his heart. That is transformational leadership. In Mandalised UP, he made caste irrelevant.