Soft Power

In a gentle way, you can shake the world – Mahatma Gandhi

What does leadership mean to you and what picture comes to mind when the word is mentioned?

For some, leadership means absolute firmness devoid of a taint of sympathy and grace. This was probably demonstrated by that elementary school teacher who would literally run as soon as the 7am bell rang, close the school gate and punish all latecomers.

For others, leadership is synonymous with overpromising but under-delivering. After all, who hasn’t observed the supercharged, power-hungry politicians on a campaign trail, promising ‘heaven on earth’?

For others still, leadership is akin to intimidating, coercing, subjugating, and dominating those under your care. Yes, the high school prefects and captains periodically modeled this, didn’t they? When they bullied the timid and innocent you, took away your precious snacks every time you opened school and threatened you in case you told anyone.

You see, from an early age, we receive impressions as to what constitutes leadership from the people around us: parents, guardians, teachers, peers clergymen, politicians, etc. As a result, our perceptions are varied and idiosyncratic just as our personalities, upbringings, and experiences are. No wonder leadership wrangles and scuffles abound everywhere – from corporate boardrooms to legislative halls.

Sadly, many have a skewed understanding of what true leadership is, forgetting what Sunny Bindra observed recently, “We do not get the best out of people by whipping them into shape; we get their best by engaging them with a common mission…for a very simple reason: the human performs better when involved, included, and appreciated.”

So what exactly is authentic leadership and what are the characteristics of a good leader?

True leadership is not about occupying the highest offices but rather rendering the highest offices. It is about serving others using your gifts, talents, abilities, influences, experiences, and endowments. It’s about bringing out the best in those who look up to you rather than using the position to confer the best upon yourself. Hence, a good leader ought to be reachable, respectable, and reliable.

Titles and positions aren’t meant to alienate. Make an effort to stay in tune with your follower’s challenges and problems. It’ll keep you relevant and empathetic. At the same time, demonstrate to your team that you are dependable and trustworthy. That way, you’ll have earned their respect and won’t have to demand it.
A leader doesn’t have to be loud and unsociable or cold and repulsive. You can be quiet and soft but still effective, calm but also resolute, introverted but still gregarious, etc.

I guess Sunny Bindra summarizes this conversation best: “Let people feel psychologically safe and fairly treated under your leadership; connect them to a cause bigger than themselves; cultivate a sense of community and togetherness in the collective; and study and understand each person as an individual with special talents.”

Cheers, good people to a week and lifetime characterized by soft power and effective leadership.