Power Within: The Leadership Legacy Of Narendra Modi — Western And Indic Lenses Provide A Clear Picture

Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi. Dr R Balasubramaniam. Penguin. Pages 376. Rs 581.

Books on political leaders usually take a hagiographic approach, praising everything that can pass muster to be shown as exemplary or visionary.

Some books attempt to dissect the person into traits that made him/her successful, in retrospect, with a hypothesis in mind. But Dr R Balasubramaniam (referred to fondly as Dr Balu) has taken a completely different approach in his new book — Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi (Penguin Random House India, 2024).

He uses Narendra Modi’s leadership, almost in an experimental manner, to highlight the differing perspectives that Indic philosophical approaches and Western management thinking have on leadership as a bunch of traits or actions.

His book was published at a time when, following the electoral underachievement of 2024, Narendra Modi’s leadership can perhaps be cautiously described as a 'waning gibbous.' But twenty-three uninterrupted years in public high office, largely unparalleled in electoral democracies, needs closer scrutiny.

What makes him tick? What traits does he share with, or what sets him apart from, other leaders — both contemporary and historical? What leadership qualities does Narendra Modi possess, or, as Dr Balu puts it, what actions has he taken that could serve as a blueprint for future leaders?

The book is a nuanced balancing act, which attempts to draw from and challenge the authority of Western leadership principles. By placing Modi’s leadership within the dharmic framework, Dr Balu attempts to show the world how Rajadharma, as captured by Chanakya in the Arthashastra, links a leader’s integrity to the values enshrined in the society that she/he governs.

Sukhasya moolam dharmaha, dharmasya moolam artaha, arthasya moolam rajyam, rajyasya moolam indriya jayah….

The book spans management genres like a historical magnum opus, giving due recognition to Western theories such as adaptive leadership (Heifetz et al.), systems thinking (Senge), leadership crucibles (Bennis), Intentional Change Theory and resonant leadership (Boyatzis et al.), and the drives of leadership (Nohria & Lawrence).

At the same time, it challenges classical leadership models like situational, contingency, and transactional theories as merely context-based frameworks, placing them within the broader context of Vivekananda's principles of tyaga (sacrifice) and seva (service).

It offers a working definition of leadership from the Indic lens, as understanding the self, the others around us and the selfless actions that bound the self to the other.

Dr Balu is an academic as well as a field practitioner. Inspired by Vivekananda as a young medical student, he lived among tribals of HD Kote taluk, Mysore, a life of service as a way of spirituality. His training in governance, public policy and leadership at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School has shaped his worldview and academic rigour in the recent past. This dual exposure has both enriched and complicated his book.

There is a lot packed into 251 pages with shlokas and quotes from the Kathopanishad, Panchatantra, Bhagavad Gita, Vidura Neeti Shloka, Chanakya Neeti, Brihadaryanaka Upanishad and the Mahasubhashita Sangraha embellishing each chapter.

Dr Balu weaves the narrative of Modi’s leadership journey through anecdotes from his childhood and youth, excerpts from key ministers, bureaucrats and party functionaries, and sportspersons' interactions with him to highlight various aspects of his adaptive leadership. Dr Balu then adds the lens of Western leadership, management, and communication theories to this heady narrative.

Diffusion Theory (Rogers) is used to explain the top-down dissemination of knowledge and practices through Mann ki Baat. Csikszentmihalyi’s state of ‘flow’ describes Modi’s ability to work without distractions. The book argues that Modi successfully navigated and overcame the cultural contradictions of capitalism, as highlighted by Bell. Rodrik postulates in ‘inescapable trilemma,’ that a leader or nation can prioritise only two out of three realms: nation-state, democracy, and globalisation).

Modi has demonstrated his prioritisation of national interests (evident in the oil purchase from Russia), commitment to democracy and electoral politics, and dedication to the global order (as seen during the Vaccine Maitri initiatives).

If this was not enough, Dr Balu further enriches the narrative by integrating Indic traditions into his explanation of leadership, with Modi positioned as the 'karta' or the 'sutradhar' of the unfolding story.

This is best exemplified in the book through the path-breaking use of the concept of Sadharanikaran from the Natya Shashtra (Bharata Muni). Contrasting it to dry Western communication models such as process and semiotic schools of thought, the author elucidates the concept of sahridayata or shared understanding, shaped by the bhaavas (emotions) and the socio-cultural context of the communication.

He further explains that while Western rhetoric seeks a change in the listener, Asian rhetoric seeks acceptance not agreement. The use of silence as a means and message of communication by Modi, and his extraordinary ability to listen patiently, absorb like a sponge and grasp complex ideas without any distortion, stand out as the masterly attribute of Modi’s leadership.

In an uncertain and ambiguous world with ‘wicked’ problems, Modi’s mindful leadership, rooted in Bharatiya values yet global in outlook, is exemplified by his recent visit to Ukraine. The shared etymology of ‘Neta’ and ‘Netr’ in Hindi and Sanskrit implies that Indic thought naturally conveys the concept of leadership being visionary, without needing additional description.

The book explores various events in recent Indian history, to extract key aspects of Modi’s leadership. It contrasts the last-minute failure of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission and Modi’s interactions with then ISRO chairman K Sivan and his team, with the mission’s success four years later, reflecting Modi’s equanimity and conviction as drawn from the Bhagavad Gita.  

Nirmala Sitharaman’s reference to the Vyadha Gita section of the Mahabharata illustrates Modi’s sense of duty and detachment. This framework helps explain his unwavering commitment to implementing the now infamous farm laws and his subsequent apology to the nation during a televised address on the eve of Guru Nanak’s Prakash Parv in November 2021.

One would wish he could come clean someday on the failure of demonetisation, a chapter which would define his style of leadership, which is (un)surprisingly skirted by this book. Nonetheless, the book dedicates an entire chapter to Modi's adaptive leadership and steadfast resolve, focusing on the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent on-ground changes.

The leadership styles of other leaders at varying points in time — Abraham Lincoln, Deng Xiaoping, and Lee Kuan Yew — are compared with Modi’s actions and approach. This probably gives context to an international reader on placing Modi on a comparable scale on the world stage.

The forty-three-page notes and bibliography section and the twenty-nine-page glossary of Indic terms might seem excessive, but they are a necessary evil. This book is an academic smorgasbord, which uses a headliner as an article of in-depth review, while its main objective is to highlight the Indic view of leadership to the world and its growing relevance in today’s uncertain and brittle world, where India is expected to provide direction, anchor, and power, all at once to navigate troubled waters.

A difficult book to read, it should be read and reread, with notes made, debated, and discussed in academic fora. Modi supporters would buy it as a jewel for their bookshelf. Modi detractors should read it equally to understand the deep-rooted values and beliefs that shape the man. But what this book should really be celebrated for is challenging Western concepts of leadership, while using ancient Bharatiya values and a modern-day poster boy to make its case.