3 Characteristics of a Leader
Jasbina Ahluwalia asks Toby Chaudhuri, Co-Founder and CSO of SocialxDesign:: Let’s switch back to the US for a minute.
For the benefit of our listeners who aspire to a career in politics in the US, what do you feel are the building blocks that are needed to develop a career in US politics?
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Toby Chaudhuri
It’s interesting, especially after this election in India. Some of the lessons that we learned there are helpful to answering this question as well.
What does it really take to create leadership?
I’ve worked with many different political leaders, people in public office and many people running political campaigns. I go through my own filter of who I would be willing to work with and who I don’t work with.
There are three characteristics that become important for running for office in any market.
- A leader has to be able to envision what a better future looks like.
- Second, a person must be able to figure out how they can drive change.
- Third, it’s important to be able to orchestrate creative teams.
Characteristics of a Leader: Envision Future
A leader has to be able to envision what a better future looks like.
In any kind of political campaign, especially if there is an election, voters are really choosing who they feel is the best choice for the future. It’s important to have an idea of what that looks like.
- That means being able to tell that story in a way that moves people to act.
- It means being able to think about big societal impact.
- It means being able to articulate a clear vision and find creative solutions to complex problems.
- It means having the courage to be a pioneer.
- All of that goes into envisioning a better future.
Characteristics of a Leader: Drive Change
Second, a person must be able to figure out how they can drive change.
- How do you engage a whole system for change?
- How do you create a sense of urgency?
- How do you unleash and accelerate change and deal with unpredictability and, at the same time, protect bottom-line viability?
In this case, that might be political support.
Characteristics of a Leader: Creative Teams
Third, it’s important to be able to orchestrate creative teams.
- This means being able to empower others to create with you.
- It means being able to bring together people from different fields to be able to overcome obstacles.
- It means unleashing creativity within the organization and harvesting networks.
Characteristics of a Leader: Passionate About Issues
Once all of these three things are in place and someone in politics has an idea of what issues they are most passionate about and where they feel a sense of purpose, it’s important to apply an explorative mindset and get involved.
That first usually happens at the local level or wherever one connects the most with a community. It grows from there.
Characteristics of a Leader: Master
Ultimately, the most successful people that we see in politics are the folks who are able to master this profession, master themselves and master a set of constituencies that they connect with authentically.
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Tell Us:
What do you deem characteristics of a leader? Drop us a line in the comments section below.
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The above is an excerpt from Jasbina’s interview with Toby Chaudhuri.
The entire interview transcript is at: Toby Chaudhuri NetIP (Network of Indian Professionals) Interview – Current State of Politics in US and India
Listen to the entire interview on: Intersections Match Talk Radio – Jasbina’s Lifestyle Show
Listen to the entire interview on Blog Talk Radio: NetIP Spotlight Listen to the entire interview on iTunes _____
