Neeta Lal :
With the dust settling on one of the world’s most raucous and polarising democratic exercises – the Indian general elections – many profound lessons have been learnt. But perhaps the most vital one has been how effective communication can pole vault a politician to superstardom.
Nobody exemplifies this better than India’s freshly-minted 15th prime minister Narendra Damodardas Modi. Rock star and raconteur rolled into one, Modi won by a historic margin, nearly decimating the entrenched Gandhi dynasty which has dominated the Indian political landscape for well over a century. Modi’s powerful oratory was a contrast to the taciturnity of erstwhile Indian PM Manmohan Singh who many believed was a diplomat masquerading as premier. Singh always thought twice before saying nothing!
In a message on his website, Modi has promised to leverage social media to communicate directly with the people. The platform will “create opportunities to listen, learn and share one’s views” as well as highlight the new political dispensation’s innovative initiatives. As Modi goes from Namo to PMO, his ministers too will likely jump onto the Twitter/Facebook bandwagon. The Big Boss’ dogged obsession with cybersphere will no doubt be read as a message for his Cabinet to stay connected with their constituencies. Will Twitter be doing all the talking then? Well, what better medium than succinct 140-word capsules to put the government’s message across? These bon mots are definitely preferable to meandering and sleep-inducing ministerial speeches. Brevity, as they say, is the soul of wit.
Having admitted that his digital brigade was pivotal in his victory, Modi now faces the complex task of going from here to social media 2.0, and that promises to be a critical link to his perception building exercise in the days ahead. Optics will be crucial here. His critics, both international and national, on social media, will put his every move under the scanner. How will the new PMO utilise the digital platform? What should the people expect? Will Modi be candid or cagey about his policies? The suspense is already promising edge-of-the-seat excitement.
Like Modi, examples abound of other politicians whose oratory has reaped them rich dividends. US President Barack Obama comes to mind pronto. He is known to mesmerise, tantalise and energise his audience. Obama’s predecessor Bill Clinton – a formidable speaker – has now made a lucrative profession out of his communication skills. And to think that he was the same guy who was almost booed off the stage at a Democratic Convention at the start of his career!
Rather than throw in the towel, Clinton persevered and focused with laser-like intensity on polishing up his speaking skills. And look where it got him. Most leaders (their political leanings notwithstanding) acknowledge the former US premier as one of the best speakers of any generation. Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai also find their names high up on the marquee of great speakers. An icon of courage and grace, Mandela was a rhetorician par excellence while Yousafzai is a poster girl for human endurance and spirit.
According to renowned psychologist and speech expert Albert Mehrabian, a good speech is like a nuanced recipe. It is 7% verbal, 38% vocal and 55% visual. A good communicator thus needs to foremost make the listeners believe in his vision. Here, he not only needs to know his facts well but has to deliver his words passionately, holding the audience rapt.
Martin Luther King delivered one such speech in 1963 in Washington DC. In what is arguably the greatest speech of the 20th century, King spoke for over an hour holding his audience spellbound. What was his secret? He made his delivery conversational, confident and full of self-belief. Mid-speech, when he sensed that he wasn’t reaching his audience as he intended, he tore up the original script and began speaking extempore. The result was electric. King received an 11 minute-long standing ovation at the speech’s end!
(Neeta Lal is a freelance journalist based in New Delhi)
