Being a leader is a dream come true. But many nightmares have to be faced and overcome along the way, as the story of leaders such as Jayalalitha shows. As we mourn her passing, it is also a time to note the many valuable lessons her methods offer to aspiring leaders in both the public sphere and the corporate world.
Communicate, not talk
For one, she broke the mould of what a traditional thalaivar (leader) was seen as. While most leaders waxed eloquent and gave long speeches, she was terse. Her sentences were straight, without flowery allegories. When Tamil prowess was the ticket to scholarly status, she spoke good English and made no apologies for it.
She never courted the media or wrote letters to her followers. She communicated what needed to be told in the simplest possible way, each word carefully chosen, delivered with precision, rather than rambling on and leaving the listener no wiser. She raised the bar from fiction to facts, as she quoted hard numbers and data to make her case.
In a way, it shows the coming of age of the electorate, who may crowd around to hear speeches at meetings, but not be swayed by words. And in an era where everyone has hundreds of opinions posted on social media, even about matters they are not experts on, she did not talk much. People paid attention to the words she spoke and, importantly, got what she said. Even 1,000 words of negative comments and facts against her by detractors were often nullified by one word spoken from her heart.
Power to fight
Jaya also stood out for her ability to break through various glass ceilings. A woman and a Brahmin, she was able to project herself as the undisputed leader in a male dominated anti-brahmin party. Given how Hilary Clinton had to struggle and, in the end, fail in a developed country, Jaya’s success in a traditional society was truly astonishing.
Unlike Indira Gandhi, who had solid family backing, Jaya had to fight her way to the top. Her mentor MGR’s legacy helped, but her position after his death was zero and the ascent was a true testimony to her ability to fight. The many derogatory words used by her opponents — for being a woman, single and an actress — not to mention her molestation in the Assembly, showed what she was up against.
Given the many setbacks and abuses she faced, it would have been easy for her to give up. But with each blow she bounced higher, raising the hopes and bar for those who cite hurdles in their path as the excuse to quit.
Chalking the path
Jaya did not walk the beaten path of other leaders. While atheism was the basic guiding principle of the Dravidan parties, she never made any secret of her beliefs and, in fact, promoted faith to new heights! Sweet talking and holding on to alliances for appearance’s sake — the mainstay of politics — was not her cup of tea either. She did not mind realigning her friends and foes at short notice. And when coalition was the de facto way to win elections, she went at it alone in the latest State Assembly polls, and razed the opposition to the ground.
Likewise, pleasing the press — considered a must to get media support — was never something she sought to do. By choice the popular press ended up mostly on her side. This was even as she replaced ministers without giving any explanation or slapped the media with court notices.
Walk the talk
In a country where election promises are usually just poll planks, Jaya walked the talk. Though one can argue that most measures were welfare and not difficult, credit must be given to the shift in thinking this brought. She held herself accountable to the people who placed their faith in her. In instances such as solving the acute power problem in the State, she acted decisively and made a visible change.
She also followed through on many thorny problems, such as the Cauvery water issue, and fought for the rights of States against the Central authority.
Willingness to learn
Jaya had to eat humble pie often at the polls as people voted her out of power. The lesson taught by the voters was clear — you are not the only choice. She changed her style and strategy to get back and win, rather than dogmatically cling to old failing ways. She was self-taught and exceeded her mentor MGR in her achievements — for he never had any serious downs in his career.
She learnt the power of the masses in her failures and successes, the impermanence of power and the fickle nature of political alliances. Even when surrounded by a mass of people, and with the rich and powerful falling at her feet, she knew she was alone. She knew that just one person could make a difference, and she did.