The Man of India’s Destiny

Retaining popularity ratings is a challenging task for any elected leader and 2023 was no different with leaders of most major democracies like the US, Germany, Japan, and the UK seeing a slide in rankings. The only exception to this trend is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After more than nine years of being in office, just ahead of his bid for a third term, his popularity ratings are consistently above 70 per cent, a measure of approval any political leader will envy.

A leader’s popularity with voters is essential for leading a country and, of course, winning elections. But leadership is not just a popularity contest and consistent ratings reflect a connection with citizens based on trust and credibility. Effective leadership requires tough decisions that may cause short-term pain but are needed in the national interest. A crisis, such as the critical foreign exchange situation of 1991, can make such decisions easier. There is an acceptance of tough measures, even if reluctantly, as options are limited. But implementing such decisions during peace time, when people are habituated to a certain system or policy and are happy with the status quo, requires courage and vision, and is a test of leadership. A true leader can detect the perils of a status quo attitude and initiate transformative political, economic, and social changes.

An attribute of effective leadership is a preparedness to deal with chaos or disruption. Leadership is about creating, leading, and coping with change. Any transformative change is bound to create some uncertainty and it is here that a leader like Modi excels in not only coping but also establishing a new paradigm anchored in a national vision. Dealing with change involves convincing people about the need and merits of the decisions taken. Two decisions in Modi’s first term—demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Service tax (GST)—are good examples. The first (demonetisation), despite the disruption, won the support of the poor as they believed in Modi’s war against black money and corruption. While GST implementation was disruptive for businesses, transiently slowed down the economy and ran into teething troubles, the new tax regime made the Indian economy efficient and modern. In both instances, the prime minister did not hesitate to put his political capital on the line because he felt the decisions were needed.

Modi’s strength is his direct communication with people, explaining the rationale behind major decisions, and the humility with which he asks people to tolerate short-term pain (especially in case of demonetisation and lockdown during Covid). At the same time, he converted a crisis (non-availability of cash) into an opportunity by launching the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and encouraging people to use digital payments. Today, UPI is viewed globally as a transformative technology for its ease and security. India’s emergence from the Covid crisis has much to do with Modi’s ability to impose a national lockdown and then keep public morale up by leading by example. There was a significant capacity-building in India’s healthcare infrastructure and success in the manufacture and supply of critical medicines and vaccines. India achieving 200 crore vaccinations is irrefutable evidence of his leadership. In the case of GST, he institutionalised decision-making through a GST Council, where every state is represented and decisions are taken by a consensus-based approach, making it a successful example of co-operative federalism.

A consistent facet of Modi’s leadership style is ’empathy’ for common people. This sensitivity to the last woman in the queue (Antyodaya) leads to the envisioning of multiple scenarios in any decision-making process and this increases the chances of success. This process enables him to listen to feedback from the grassroots and accordingly select the right policies. Empathy has been described as one of the five essential features of ’emotional intelligence’ by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman who defines it as “1. Ability to understand emotional makeup of other people and 2. Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions.” An exposure to privations due to a lack of means and his extensive travels through India give Modi the ability to seize the essentials of a situation. This is why he understood the need to deliver basics to the underprivileged by way of banking, housing, electricity, health, water, and cleanliness. He understood that these are enabling and empowering decisions that make a tangible and material difference to the lives of people.

In an hour of crisis, his empathy for the most affected is unending. During any natural calamity, he is the first to discuss (in advance, if warning is available) preparations and requirements. In many cases he has spoken with chief ministers from opposition parties and immediately delivered what was needed on the ground. During Covid, he personally called hundreds of people to inquire about their health. When the Ukraine-Russia war began, he was not only worried about airlifting Indian students but also their wellbeing in transit in countries like Romania and Poland. He called several people (including myself) after midnight and directed that arrangements be made for fresh, hygienic food and warm shelters for students. The Vaccine Maitri programme is a fine example of selflessly extending a helping hand to needy countries beyond diplomatic considerations. No wonder, then-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro referred to two million doses of Indian vaccine as “Sanjivani” and the prime minister of Papua and New Guinea, James Marape, touched Modi’s feet on his arrival in that country.

At the same time, Modi is careful not to allow emotions to blur his vision. Empathy in his heart is complemented with the toughness required to implement decisions, remain focused and chart the course of action. Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones in Why should Anyone Be Led by You (2006) describe this as “tough empathy” which they define as “Giving people what they need and not what they want”. This distinction between needs and wants helped Modi to devise policies that provide the right mix of financial, food and health security to vulnerable sections of society, without abandoning fiscal prudence. Modi calls uncontrolled populist doles “revdi culture”, itself a bold stance on populist giveaways. Even during the Covid crisis, he skilfully avoided large cash doles that might have gone to the undeserving (a trend in the US and other countries, resulting in high inflation) and at the same time ensuring free ration and direct transfers to the public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries.

Another feature of tough empathy is balance between the task at hand and respect for the individual. He doesn’t hesitate to convey tough messages, both in public and in private. Those who interact with him will vouch for the same. But at the same time, he has an ability to discriminate between issue-based tough messaging and taking care of not emotionally hurting an individual. This is because he has an enormous ability to remain in touch with literally thousands of people across the world. Those who have watched videos (on modistory.in) can feel the genuineness of the accounts. His letters on occasions of celebration and tragedy are not dry notes but reflect a personal connection with the person.

Vasantrao Chiplunkar was a senior RSS pracharak in Gujarat who was well known for a jovial and ever-smiling nature. After a long illness, he died the very day Modi was sworn in as chief minister a second time in 2007. He wrote an emotional tribute in Gujarati titled as ’Spring without Fall’ (vasant means spring). Later, paying tribute to Vasantrao, rather than making a tearful speech, he said, “One cannot talk about Vasantrao without smiles and laughter. Let’s celebrate his life rather than being sorrowful about his departure.” He recounted several anecdotes from his interactions with Vasantrao.

There are numerous examples of his personal touch. Before his recent Sydney visit, we were asked to locate an elderly lady who had moved to Australia to live with her sons. Hers was a common Gujarati name and after considerable effort, local contacts discovered she was no more. Modi still met her family members. And why was he keen to meet the family? Because, during Emergency (1975-77), when he was underground, he had stayed with this family in Vadodara. In Nairobi, Kenya, during a photo session with community leaders, he saw an old lady walking in slowly with someone supporting her. He quickly walked to her and holding her hand, asked, “Kem Chho Arunaben? (How are you Arunaben?)”. Again, several years earlier during a Kenya visit, he had had lunch with her family. It was their first meeting after many years.

Even while meeting grassroots workers for the first time, Modi makes people feel that they have known each other for years. During a meeting with a karyakarta from the UK recently, his opening line “Suresh, kya chal raha hai?” helped put the other at ease. A couple in Switzerland had enthusiastically celebrated Yoga Day at the Jungfrau summit in the Swiss Alps and earned swift praise when they met Modi who said, “Yoga ka liye to bahot hi accha kaam kiya aapane (You have done very good work for yoga).”
Modi can balance many such informal meetings with individuals from all walks of life and pressing official business because he wants to receive honest feedback, inputs, and new ideas. Goffee calls this “soft signals” as the prime minister’s qualities of being a patient listener help him pick up multiple ideas, sometimes divergent and contradictory even, from diverse sources and synthesise them into a coherent theme creating a “rich picture” that is implemented meticulously. It can be safely said that his travel across the length and breadth of the country in his early days and engagement with global audiences even before he became chief minister were instrumental in developing these skills. He has mastered the art of working the finer details of an idea without losing sight of bigger objectives. Many people in Gujarat who worked with him narrate how Modi paid attention to every little detail. This is the reason why the targets he set, which appear daunting and very ambitious, are achieved on time or even in advance. Jan Dhan Yojana is a classic example.

Setting the pace by his own actions is a hallmark of Modi’s leadership style. He made an appeal for a national cleanliness drive and joined the campaign by cleaning roadside waste. In a public programme of unveiling a book, he unwrapped the book, carefully folded the wrapper, kept it in his pocket, and then showed the book to the audience. Such simple gestures set an example. At party meetings, after a break, he is often the first to return to his seat so that next session starts on time. Charles de Gaulle had said of successful leaders that the “price they have to pay for leadership is unceasing self-discipline.” Goleman describes it as “self regulation” and Modi is a living example.

He is careful to draw a line between confidence and over-confidence. Confidence infuses energy into followers and over-confidence leads to complacency. He will campaign till the last vote is cast. At the same time, from the very next day, he will start planning for the future, even before the results are declared. In the 2012 Gujarat elections, the very next morning after voting (and before results), he inspected a newly built venue of the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat summit.

Modi untiringly meets different sections of society. With schoolchildren, he can sing songs or engage them in questioning discussions; with innovators he can avidly talk of a particular technology with mass applications; discuss global issues with world leaders; wash the feet of construction workers; identify an old friend in a crowd; visit a temple to pray and meditate; and fire up a crowd with a speech attacking opponents. And at every such event, he gives 100 per cent of himself, without losing track of proceedings and situations. People feel he is genuine and sincere. That’s the reason they wholeheartedly become part of his campaigns. For a leader of his stature, it is impossible to confine him to one frame or scenario. He can be soft while conversing with ordinary citizens and resolute and firm when dealing with professional naysayers (whom he calls “andolanjeevis”). But he is always authentic. In an interview with Goffee and Jones (‘Managing Authenticity’, 2005), a business leader aptly said: “I want to be me but I am channeling parts of me to context. What you get is a segment of me, it’s not fabrication, just the bits that are relevant to the situation”. Modi has mastered this skill.
Authenticity is not inherited, it does not depend on the family one belongs to or on power and wealth. One cannot be authentic by self-proclamation. Following a lifestyle for short-term popularity does not make one authentic. Authenticity is something followers and people at large attribute to the leader. In return, the leader should convey to people that everyone is making a compelling contribution. People want to be led by someone ’real’ and are not gullible in this regard (at least not for long). This is the prime characteristic that differentiates Modi from his opponents. It also answers the question why Modi’s words, deeds and actions come across as genuine but which, in the case of his opponents, are unconvincing and opportunistic. It also explains why ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ is credible in the eyes of the people—because it is backed by a solid record of work.

Rob Goffee and others have extensively written about “authentic leadership”. Though the context was business leadership, the attributes can be applied to political leaders, too. I think Narendra Modi is an ideal example of the same. He could achieve his goals with sheer hard work, exposing himself to the toughest of situations, and continuously learning and absorbing lessons. He never shied from expressing his true self; there is no pretence about the man. Amid success, he never detaches himself from his roots. India has the right leader to lead it into its Amrit Kaal, a process that involves the discovery of its destiny.

authentic leadercredibilityNarendra ModiPrime MinisterVasantrao Chiplunkar