Is PM Modi a Transformational Leader?

This is a question that is worth inquiring about. Why? Because Transformational Leaders are the best type of leaders.

The concept of transformational leadership was initially introduced by?James V. Downton, who was the first to coin the term ‘transformational leadership’. The same was further developed by James MacGregor Burns (1978), followed by Bernard M. Bass (1985). (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformational_leadership ). Presently, three leadership styles are spoken about: transformational, transactional, and laissez faire.

The laissez faire style is one where the leader is reluctant to appear to be ‘bossing’. He is laid back, not seen to be ‘leading’ (in the conventional sense of how a leader is imagined), leaves the followers to decide what they want to do, abhors rules and controls of any type. This person wants to accomplish things by leaving the people in the organisation to work freely, and to claim the credit whenever something good happens (which may not be always forthcoming). Examples of this type are the current PM of Pakistan, some cricket captains, former president of the US Mr Donald Trump during the attack on the Capitol by many of his followers, and Mr Manmohan Singh. Such styles are dysfunctional and lead to anarchy, chaos and a lack of disciplined behaviour.

The transactional style could be of two types – management by exception and management by rewards and punishment. Such leaders are often guided by the short term, and could not be bothered much with vision and strategy. And, lastly, the transformational leaders. These are the ones who are visionary, actively supporting their followers, leading them by personal example, inspiring and motivating them to give off their best, usually to achieve superior results for the organisation as a whole, and not worry much about personal aggrandisements. These styles now form the ‘Full Range of Leadership Model’, authored by researchers Avolio and Bass. The hierarchy of the styles is shown in the figure above.?

The transformational style of leadership is characterised by: Idealised Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Individualised Consideration and Intellectual Simulation. Let’s examine PM Modi’s performance against each of these factors.

First, Idealised Influence. The Transformational Leader (TL) is a walker, rather than a talker, He walks the talk, and sets an example by his personal behaviour. Those who have read the many stories of Mahatma Gandhi, will remember his motto: be the change you wish to see in others. Meaning, set the roadmap and walk on it, before you ask anyone else to do. This characteristic, if found in the wrong person, could lead to disastrous consequences. In the case of PM Modi, he has always been driven by an idealism which has been nurtured through self-awareness, native intelligence and the Indian ethos. The Indian civilisation is an ancient one, and PM Modi has imbibed the essence of the Vedas and shastras, to lead a life of continuous inquiry, a child like curiosity to learn from many sources, and live them in his personal life. He has been keeping the Navratri vrath since his early days and practices yoga regularly. But so do many others too. But how many others could motivate the whole world to take up yoga? That’s the difference. ?Recently, there was a news item that Saudi Arabia has planned to install yoga courses in its school curriculum. And, since 2000, PM Modi has been the CM of Gujarat, for an uninterrupted period of some 14 years, during which he transformed the state into an economic powerhouse. He influenced many of his followers to tread the path less trodden, to do things for the public benefit, to think of the poor and the downtrodden rather than feathering one’s own nests. After becoming the PM of India, he has energised the people and the government administration to implement difficult decisions like DBT, DeMo, UPI and so on. And this saga continues. On the global stage, he influenced Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and many other world leaders, so much so, that, during her recent visit to India, the Italian PM said that she was very happy to be in the company of PM Modi, who has been winning the world’s most popular leader polls continuously. On this count, therefore, PM Modi is a winner.

Second, Inspirational Motivation. This characteristic refers to the ability of the TL to offer a vision to the followers, motivate them to commit to that vision through persuasion with simple words and deeds, make his followers work for a larger goal than personal feathering. PM Modi has done this in ample measure. In fact, his party manifesto has become an instrument of implementation of plans already outlined in some details, no surprises. His vision is for a self-reliant India, for a vibrant and poverty free India, for a wealthy and wealth generating India, for self sufficiency in defence production. On the global stage, his vision is for a more equitable world, where the global south is on an equal footing with the prosperous north, a multipolar world where countries look after their self-interests without harming others. That this has been implemented is now well known. His team of Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitaraman, S. Jaishankar, Peeyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari and many others is working like a well-oiled machine, achieving goals and targets, of which even Jim Collins of the BHAG fame would be proud. So, PM Modi is a winner here as well.

Third, Individualised Consideration. TL’s build their teams, allow their followers to grow to realise their full potential and beyond. PM Modi has set new standards for developing people who have reached the pinnacle in their respective spheres. Amit Shah is the global best in election strategy. Consistently delivering results through meticulous planning and superior execution. Nirmala Sitaraman is the global best FM, for her handling of the covid crisis, various other financial initiatives, to make the country the lowest in terms of retail inflation in the worst of times. Jaishankar is the global best EAM, Yogi is the global best CM at the state level, and the list goes on. PM Modi’s cabinet is the best in the world for planning and performance. So, win number three.

Fourth, Intellectual Simulation. The ‘Chaiwallah’ image conceals a very sharp mind, which is well informed, functioning in diverse fields, able to concentrate and understand the essence of any problem, address all issues, ranging from defence to administration to finance to sports to ….PM Modi has come up with many new thoughts, to challenge his colleagues, and make them deliver. One example is the work done by Dr Mansukh Mandavia, a late entrant to the Modi cabinet. He distinguished himself by his efforts to control and win the war on covid in India. The work done by Nitin Gadkari and Peeyush Goyal needs no repetition. The latest surprise is Dr Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has gained public approval by the introduction of the Vande Bharat and many other such acts in the Indian Railways. PM Modi has challenged the DRDO, ISRO, HAL, L&T, Tata, Vedanta and many others to deliver on the themes of Make in India, Build India, Skill India, and all these are leading to serious economic growth with Indian efforts. At the same time, he is also challenging the world powers to think on a different level, which is still in progress. Here too, PM Modi is on a great footing.

So, overall, based on his performance and the speed with which the country is moving forward, on can conclude that he is Transformational Leader. He joins the ranks of illustrious world leaders like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

Jayaraman R

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