By Jeff Bell.
Being popular is one thing. It is an outcome. Paradoxically, the more we strive for it, the less credible we are; the less popular we become.
Being populist is a leadership approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by the elite. It may win support; but it will certainly be unsustainable.
This is because, invariably, the populist leader is looking to be loved. By giving some group everything it asks for.
But telling people what they want to hear and expect to receive is misguided. The leader needs to consider the whole system and to deliver changes and benefits with a systems mindset. Favouring one group will always come at the expense of another—ordinary or elite. The constant play to that one group will quickly alienate the others and create a dysfunctional system, to the point of corruption.
This playing by the populist leader to a specific group is done by:
- Giving them favours and awards that are not available to all.
- Promoting almost exclusively to leadership roles from this group.
- Making all favours and acts to this group conditional.
- Controlling membership of cliques and punishing those who leave, disenchanted.
- Socialising with them in and outside of the work environment.
- Demanding unquestioning support and loyalty from them at all times.
- Expelling and humiliating those who deviate from the party line.
- Neglecting, if not suppressing, promotion of those from the remainder.
- Establishing and maintaining a strict and tightly controlled hierarchy.
- Ensuring that there are no credible successors to their position.
Populism is a dangerous game for any leader and paradoxically may result in a loss of respect. First will be the alienated parties. Eventually those who benefit most by the populist leader’s largesse will also lose respect the leader, even if giving apparent support (to shore up their own position).
So, how can we understand populism?
The populist leader has a wide streak of what is known in TA as the Rescuer. Deep down they will see their role as the saviour of the weak. They place themselves above, even though they themselves have unresolved issues that may lead to self-loathing. They need to have the appreciation of the weak because they themselves are. But the Rescuer has difficulty developing peer-to-peer relationships and anyone with more appeal or talent is treated with fear and suspicion—and certainly won’t be developed or promoted.
In childhood we crave to get everything we want. We will rail to the point of tantrum when we feel we are missing out. It is only through the understand of boundaries that we come to see that there are limits to what we can get. And this applies to everyone.
The parent who craves the child’s love by not applying boundaries, will be neglecting the child’s development and understanding of the world, as well as making their own life a hell of insatiable demands. A child who is brought up this way…
So it is in leadership. For the busines leader, for the politician.
Those ordinary people who feel neglected or rejected are just as capable of deep admiration for someone elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements.
This is respect and it is far more enduring, especially when everyone sees the system-wide benefits.
By looking at the whole system, a leader will earn respect for:
- Articulating and following a set of values and indicative behaviours.
- Identifying the organisation’s cause—how can the disadvantaged rise?
- Describing the purpose of the organisation—what are striving for?
- Making the present understandable and the future inspirational for all.
- Setting high standards of behaviour by word and by modelling.
- Creating an organisational structure that draws the desired behaviours.
- Crafting a strategy for the attainment of inspirational goals.
- Engaging the staff with word and deed, being among them.
- Engaging the customer—warmly serving those who “feed” the staff.
- Showing courage at all times, even if risking popularity.
Among these, is the growth of those on the receiving end—they too develop a respect for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.
So, what you need?!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T