HQ Asia leading in a season of populism

LEADING IN A SEASON OF POPULISM
1

ON THE AGENDA
• What is populism?
• How should business leaders respond to
populism?
2Copyright © Human Capital Leadership Institute

A Season of Populism?
If you have been browsing the news
recently, you will come across an
increasingly prevalent term, “populism”.
Headlines will suggest to you (usually
critically):
• Populism on the march (why the
West is in trouble)
– Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec 2016 issue
• The global wave of populism that
turned 2016 upside down
– The Washington Post, Dec 19, 2016
• Beware promises of new populism –
Straits Times, Jan 3, 2017
• Blair reveals £9m war chest in fight
against populism
– The Times, Jan 5, 2017
April 24, Austria: Nobert Hober, from the far-right Freedom
Party came remarkably close to a win during the first round of
Austria's presidential election. Rallied against Muslim
immigrants and political elites.
May 9, Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte became President.
Campaigned on pledges to upend political elites and protect
the poor.
June 25, UK: Brexit – a debate that was portrayed as an
ideological battle between a pro-Europe elite and a Brexit-
backing underclass.
Nov 8, US: Donald Trump elected US President. Promised to
“drain the swamp” in Washington.
Dec 4, Italy: Referendum on constitutional changes ended in
defeat. Result seen as Beppe Grillo (a self-proclaimed
populist)’s growing clout.
Dec 13, South Korea: President Park Geun-hye impeached as
protestants clamoured for real political reform. Will Lee Jae-
myung, mayor of Seongnam city be “Korea’s Trump”?
Will populism continue into 2017? During major elections in
France, Germany, and Holland?
In 2016

But What is Populism?
“Athough populism is making headlines
across the globe, there is a lot of
confusion about what this concept
really means... Part of the problem lies
in the usage of the term as a battle cry.
Both academics and pundits often
employ the term populism to denote all
the political actors and behaviors they
dislike.”
- Cas Mudde, Associate Professor, School of Public and International
Affairs, University of Georgia & Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser,
Associate Professor, School of Political Science, Diego Portales
University (Chile) in “Understanding the populist backlash”, Oxford
University Press blog, Dec 29, 2016.
And is Everyone a Populist?

Liberal Associations of Populism
And so, we find that the liberal (meaning wide-ranging) associations of populism include:
Anti-establishment
Voter anger & resentment
Exclusive,
rightwing?
Inclusive,
leftwing?

The Core of Populism
“As with any "ism”, definitions are crucial. A useful one goes
like this: populism is an ideology that separates society into
two homogeneous and antagonistic groups, "the pure
people" (versus) "the corrupt elite", and that holds that
politics should be an expression of "the general will" of the
people.”
- Cas Mudde, Associate Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, University of Georgia in
“Europe’s populist surge ”, Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec 2016.

Here’s Another Perspective
Jan-Werner Muller, Professor of Politics, Princeton University in “What Is Populism?”,
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016.
“I argue that it is a necessary but not
sufficient condition to be critical of
elites in order to count as a populist…
Otherwise, anyone criticizing the
status quo… would by definition be a
populist – and…their attacks on elites
can often be justified.”

Populist = Antipluralist
In addition to being anti-elitist, Professor Jan-Werner Muller suggests that populists are
always anti-pluralists. Populists claim that they, and only they, represent the people.
The claim to exclusive representation is
not empirical but moral. Political
competitors and critics are seen as part
of the immoral, corrupt elite. On the
other hand, populists are fine with elites
as long as they are the elites leading the
people.
Populists consistently and continuously
deny the very legitimacy of their
opponents (as opposed to just saying
that some of their policies are
misguided). They do not concede that
they may be a temporary and fallible
representative of the people, and that
contrary opinions can be legitimate.
Populist logic also implies that whoever does
not really support populist parties might not
be part of the people to begin with. Professor
Muller raises the examples of:
• Nigel Farage celebrating the Brexit vote by
saying it had been a “victory for real people”
• Donald Trump saying at a campaign rally
that “the only important thing is the
unification of the people — because the
other people don’t mean anything.”
Note, not all appeals to “the people” qualify as
populism. For a political actor or movement to
be populist, it must claim that a part of the
people is the people. Markers of distinction
can include many things such as race,
nationality, and even work ethics.

So, how should business leaders
respond to populism?

3 Essential ‘C’s
Be clear about what
populism is – and
isn’t.
Consider the issues
raised by populism
seriously and
respectfully.
Check your
leadership style for
shades of populism.
1 2 3

1. Be clear about what populism is
– and isn’t.
As a leader, you are in a position of great influence. It is important that you have a clear point
of view on any macro phenomenon. This will help you act, whether in terms of formulating
business strategies or leading people. In leading people, you will avoid fanning unnecessary
flames of antagonism; rather, you will help your workforce and broader society recognise
real threats where they exist.
Imagine conveying (whether explicitly or implicitly) to an audience (possibly picked up and
magnified on social media later) that supporters of populists are the have-nots, left-behinds,
and losers, and are just driven by negative emotions. This will only reinforce their views that
the elites (of which you are probably perceived as) are condescending and stuck in their
ivory towers. This will drive them to stand closer with the populists – who are the real
threats.

So, here’s a quick snapshot of what populism is – and isn’t:
It is not It is
A useful corrective for too much elite power
(anti-elitism)
A threat to democracy as it denies the
legitimacy of contrary opinions and
opposition (anti-pluralism)
An appeal to the people A pitting of one identity against another
Bad manners and noise that should be
ignored
A specific kind of “messianic” and
polarising language that needs to be
stopped
Populism is a threat to pluralism. Based on the definition by Professor Diana Eck, Founder
and Director of The Pluralism Project at Harvard University, this implies populism is a threat
to the energetic engagement of diversity. Populism is a threat to the active seeking of
understanding across lines of difference. Populism is a threat to dialogue, which both speaks
and listens, gives and takes, and criticises and self-criticises.
Populism excludes. As Associate Professor Cas Mudde writes, “While leftwing populism is
often less exclusionary than rightwing populism, the main difference between them is not
whether they exclude, but whom they exclude, which is largely determined by their
accompanying ideology (e.g. nationalism or socialism)”.

2. Check your leadership style for
shades of populism.
You now have clarity to identify and call out populism and populists (and avoid maligning
those who really aren’t). Before looking at others however, it is instructive to first start with
yourself. Is there a “little populist” in you?
“Populist parties are almost always
internally monolithic, with the rank-and-file
clearly subordinated to a single leader…
populist parties are particularly prone to
internal authoritarianism.”
DO YOU…
Lead with a top-down style or
do you listen, empower and work through a team?
Jan-Werner Muller, Professor of Politics, Princeton University in “What Is Populism?”,
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016.

“Notice what the populist always
does: he starts with a
symbolic construction of the
real people, whose supposedly single
authentic will he deduces from that
construction… Contrary to what
admirers of populism sometimes
argue, it has nothing to do with
actual input from ordinary people.”
DO YOU…
Imagine and assume or do you go to the ground
to look for facts to truly know the issues?
Jan-Werner Muller, Professor of Politics, Princeton University in
“A Majority of “Deplorables”?, Project Syndicate, Nov 10, 2016.

“Notice how a populist responds to a situation like this [where
low-income groups have little influence on policy and are
effectively unrepresented]: instead of demanding a fairer system,
he tells the downtrodden that only they are the “real people.”
A claim about identity is supposed to solve the problem
that many people’s interests are neglected.”
DO YOU…
Reframe a problem through exclusion
or do you solve the real problem through inclusion?
Jan-Werner Muller, Professor of Politics, Princeton University in “A Majority of “Deplorables”?, Project Syndicate, Nov 10, 2016.

3. Consider the issues raised by
populism seriously and respectfully.
While there are many dangers of populism, it does one good thing: it forces elites to discuss
issues they prefer to ignore, and put these issues back on the agenda. In fact, some scholars
have built on the imagery of populism as the drunken guest at a dinner party: rude and
disrespectful of social graces but nonetheless, spelling out the painful truth of real problems
that polite society does not want to talk about.
So, what are the issues and problems?

“For the most part, economic narratives have prevailed: globalization, while
improving overall wellbeing, also dislocates workers and industries, and
generates greater income disparity, creating the anxious electorates that
backed Brexit and Trump. An alternative narrative asserts that technological
advances, more than globalization, have exacerbated economic inequalities,
setting the stage for political disruptions in developed countries.
In either case, policymakers in emerging countries have identified inequality
as a major problem, and rallied around efforts to improve social mobility,
lest globalization and new technologies displace their middle and working
classes… For Asian countries, the policy prescription is clear: take care of
disadvantaged populations and provide retraining and new employment
opportunities for displaced workers.
But focusing on such policies would not address the public disaffection
underlying the populist uprising, because inequality is not its root cause.
Feelings of lost control are. … a shared sense of unease that they no longer
control their own destinies. Widening income inequality can add to this
distress, but so can other factors, which explains why people at all levels of the
income distribution are experiencing anxiety.”
- Danny Quah, Professor of Economics, and Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, both at the Lee
Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore in “The
Geopolitics of Populism”, Project Syndicate, Dec 9, 2016.

So, what are the other factors causing feelings of lost control and anxiety?
Ronald F. Inglehart of University of Michigan and Pippa Norris of Harvard Kennedy School
examined evidence for two widely-held views explaining populist support:
• Economic insecurity
• Cultural backlash
Their results suggest that in Europe (the scope of the study), the rise of populist parties
reflects a reaction against a wide range of rapid cultural changes that seem to be eroding the
basic values and customs of Western societies.
Journalist and author Fareed Zakaria concurred in a piece, “Populism on the March” for
Foreign Affairs (Nov/Dec 2016):
Despite what one sometimes hears, most analyses of voters for Brexit, Trump, or
populist candidates across Europe find that economic factors (such as rising inequality
or the effects of trade) are not the most powerful drivers of their support. Cultural
values are. The shift began, as Inglehart and Norris note, in the 1970s, when young
people embraced a postmaterialist politics centred on self-expression and issues
related to gender, race, and the environment. They challenged authority and
established institutions and norms, and they were largely successful in introducing new
ideas and recasting politics and society. But they also produced a counterreaction. The
older generation, particularly men, was traumatized by what it saw as an assault on
the civilization and values it cherished and had grown up with. These people began to
vote for parties and candidates that they believed would, above all, hold at bay these
forces of cultural and social change.

Where it comes to globalization, it is less the influx of foreign goods and services, or the
economic inequality that supposedly resulted, that is the fundamental issue. Rather, it is
when globalization brings about an influx of foreign people – and the fears that are
associated with that – this is the fundamental issue. Zakaria highlighted that in 2015, there
were around 250 million international migrants and 65 million forcibly displaced people
worldwide. Europe has received the largest share – at 76 million immigrants – and this is
bearing out in anxiety that is voting for populist parties.
Yet, it need not be this way. Zakaria pointed out that Canada has large numbers of
immigrants and a fair number of refugees and yet little cultural backlash. What makes the
difference?
“We will always choose
hope over fear, and
diversity over division.”
(in The World in 2017, The Economist)

Likewise, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam emphasised hope.
While calling for countries to help people regenerate their careers throughout their lives
through skills training, he underscored what was at the heart of the matter.
"You need redistribution in
society, and you may need
more in some areas, but it's
not at the heart of the
matter. It doesn't give hope.
Regeneration is what brings
hope because you allow
individuals, communities and
cities to rise through their
own abilities"
At a global affairs conference, Has The Game Changed?, hosted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy;
as reported by The Straits Times, “Drift towards populism 'not inevitable': DPM Tharman”, Jan 8, 2017.

Perhaps the question for you, as a business leader, is:
In your realm of influence (e.g. your organisation),
how do you cultivate hope in your people,
such that hope trumps the fears they may have
towards unfamiliar and foreign threats?
What more can you do?
Get in touch with us to share your views!

HQ Asia leading in a season of populism

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (20)

Destacado

Destacado (16)

Similar a HQ Asia leading in a season of populism

Similar a HQ Asia leading in a season of populism (14)

Último

Último (20)

HQ Asia leading in a season of populism