Learn workplace communication from the charismatic PM of India Shri Narendra Modi.
4 'C's of Charisma
The Indian Prime Minister is being referred as a “Rockstar” - be it Madison Square Garden or Cricket Fields of Dubai. Whilst political allegiances may not make you like or support him, his oratory finesse stands to be undisputable - no other party has had such a 5-star orator, who can connect with the masses with such an ease. This was pivotal for the landslide victory of the Narendra Modi led BJP.
Let’s look at some of the key takeaways, from NaMo’s speech, for something which we face in our day-to-day life – Workplace Communication.
Communication Style
Modi started by connecting with Indians – “I find a mini-India here”. Later on, he added that Dubai has converted into mini-World having connections with the rest of the world. A very well portrayed example of inclusiveness wherein you connect with everyone in the audience (all stakeholders) and not a select few. Also, he chose to speak in Hindi instead of English but was carefully articulate enough to get the message across everyone.
Know Your Facts & Leverage them
Modi talked of 700 flights operating between India and UAE every week to show deep connect between India and UAE. He was also aware that there is a large Kerala-ites Diaspora and it’s their new year. He went on to wish them in Malayalam, a language he doesn’t know. A true example of going beyond people’s expectations – this Competence and Compassion is what builds Confidence about you and establishes your Credibility – making him a true Epitome of Charisma.
Non-Confrontational Communication
Most people think of Dubai as hot and arid area - Modi converted this into a misconception by saying that people from snow-clad countries are residing in Dubai – that’s the magnetism and power of Dubai. He thanked his predecessors for leaving the good work to be done by him - a careful gratitude rather than criticism.
Building Rapport: Showing Gratitude time & again
Modi built personal rapport by saying that the UAE has a right to be resentful with Indian PM as it took 37 years to reach UAE. He admired them for showering love and the grand reception at the airport. He further went on to add that this love and respect was for 125 crore Indians.
Modi talked about those who breed terror in the name of religion without naming them and then connecting it with temple construction as an act of great nobility. He asked everyone to give a huge round of applause and standing ovation to the Crown Prince.
Building Positive Work Relationships and Motivation
He went on to say that trust is above all diplomacy in foreign relations - exemplifying it with the immense trust that UAE has placed in India – “if you don’t trust someone – would you even give them 10 Rs?” Whilst UAE has promised us $ 75 bn worth investments – he again made people thank the Crown Prince. This is what makes him standout in terms of creating rapport as while the crowd was chanting Modi’s name – he was chanting about Crown Prince.
Humility – Sharing your successes
When people attributed the changed global image of India to Modi, he attributed it to 125 crore Indians – the trust they placed in his party’s vision. A true mark of humility is when the credit of success is shared with all those who participated in it and not just the forerunners or leaders.
Being Assertive
Modi, time and again, repeated the same fact using different words that we are highly indebted to Crown Prince for all the contributions - be it reception at airport, recommendation to UN Security Council, $ 75 billion worth investments, building of temple, fight against terrorism etc. At the same time, he was direct yet subtle in his references – “it is up to you to decide which side you want to be on” and also by referring to SAARC - “we wanted to go ahead and have moved on”.
Art & Tact of Diplomacy
“Smart people will understand my insinuation.” It was implied a clear indirect reference to Pakistan and the terrorism it breeds. He also referred that India and neighboring countries are working on different projects together and said people who don’t want to walk along – it’s fine – again taking a dig at Pakistan without actually referring to them. The link was established, as UAE, despite being an Islamic country, will support India in its war against terrorism. But the Chinese invasions were also subtly hinted as he referred to all neighbors of India – SriLanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and even the distant Afghanistan but not Pakistan and China.
He spoke of keeping his promise to Shaikh Haseena of Bangladesh, which has been quickly implemented – indirectly informing the Crown Prince that India is a keeper of its promises and will take the talks with UAE to their logical conclusion & implementation.
Conflict Resolution – define the WIIFM
Quoting Nagaland Peace Accord, he added that violence is not how conflicts are resolved – they are resolved by talking on a table. Undertones are you need to understand each other and find out pain points – address them and achieve a win-win solution.
Empathy Allay
He quoted how quickly they responded to Nepal earthquake calamity as a neighbor. Instead of assessing or asking what help is needed, India straightaway provided help. Their happiness is our happiness – their pain is our pain. He quoted similar instances with Maldives and Sri Lanka where India won hearts by showing empathy.