Elements of an effective strategy from BJP’s 2019 election strategy
India celebrated her democracy with the successful conclusion of the seven-phase general elections for the 2019 Lok Sabha. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won with a thumping majority.
The victory margin of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has confounded most, if not all, pundits. And, the pundits continue to analyze BJP’s victory margin.
The common denominator of the many articles that I have read stress on BJP’s communication strategy and the power of it’s messaging as the main (often the only) factor that can be attributed to its inexorable rise.
There can be no doubts that BJP’s integrated & sophisticated communication strategy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their master storyteller contributed to BJP’s victory. Integrated marketing & communications led by a master storyteller was a key element of BJP’s election strategy.
It will be too naive to attribute their stupendous victory to only one element. Prime Minister Modi together with BJP’s National President, Amit Shah demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities & management skills to steer BJP, in particular, and NDA, in general, to a thumping victory.
Leadership is the ability to mobilize and inspire people towards a common cause.
Business leadership is no different from political leadership.
In general, leadership is about human qualities.
What can business leaders learn about strategy from BJP’s election strategy? I discuss five elements that make an effective strategy.
#1. A well-defined, market-fit product in #NewIndia. A strong, clear & well-articulated vision.
PM Modi articulated his vision for the country and introduced the concept of #NewIndia in 2017. Over the next two years, he expanded the vision to appeal to a wider section of society. Along the way, there were a few set-backs (Karnataka, and a few more). PM Modi and BJP President Shri. Amit Shah incorporated learnings from these set-backs into #NewIndia. BJP and NDA were battle-ready ahead of the actual announcement of the 2019 election schedule. Anmol Shrivastava outlines the different narratives of #NewIndia in #2 craft a narrative that appeals to a wide range of audiences.
It is said that ‘The force’ sides with those who are well-prepared. The strong response to the Balakot strikes from across the border is one such example.
Compare this to the principles of a typical successful product launch cycle. In 2017, the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in #NewIndia was introduced to the market. Over the next two years; more features were added and removed (learnings from market feedback), partnerships, alliances & collaborations were entered into to expand the product’s appeal to the market with a well-defined go-to-market (GTM) strategy, an overall marketing & communication strategy was developed, and a well-defined execution strategy & plan with responsibilities was put in place.
#NewIndia is a product of a clear vision. #NewIndia is a well-defined, market-fit product.
#2. An integrated marketing & communication strategy. A powerful messaging strategy led by a master story-teller.
BJP had a near-flawless execution led by the master storyteller, PM Modi. BJP’s messages were local and consistent from all their key public leaders (Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Phadnavis, Shivraj Chauhan, and many more) in the organization and from the cadre. I do not recall a single miscommunication till the end of the sixth phase of the elections. The response to the ill communication by Pragya Singh Thakur was immediate, strong, and sent a powerful message to the BJP cadre and the country in general.
#NewIndia is a well-articulated & understood product. People related to what #NewIndia meant to them in their context. (Benefits based mind-set.)
#3. A strong, firm and effective leadership. A CEO and his COO in perfect tandem.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a visionary CEO. He is competent, skilled, strong and effective. Analysts have written a lot and it is sufficient to say that even his opponents do not disagree that PM Modi is highly effective and a strategic thinker. The traits of PM Modi as a strategic leader that receive lesser attention include:
- PM Modi has a clear vision with an equally clear execution strategy.
- Modi identifies grooms & mentors’ talent.
- He has an ear to the ground i.e. has a good listening ear.
- He does not hesitate to recalibrate on feedback, making him a good learner.
- PM Modi is ready to collaborate & partner with outside talent (without majorly compromising).
A COO’s job is to help make the CEO’s vision a reality and make the CEO more effective & more complete.
HBR article Second in Command
BJP’s National President Shri Amit Shah, an equally competent leader is PM Modi’s COO. Amit Shah tirelessly built an organization of dedicated & motivated cadre having capable leaders & managers. BJP is the largest political organization globally with more than 10 crore members, who were the eyes & ears. The cadre provided feedback on government schemes, probable candidates, as well as played a key role in reaching out to voters.
Nathan Bennett and Stephen A. Miles in their HBR article Second in Command, describe seven kinds – The executor. The change agent. The mentor. The other half. The partner. The heir apparent. The MVP. – of COO. Amit Shah is not The MVP kind of COO i.e. there is no risk of flight. Amit Shah is the first five and maybe even the sixth kind of COO.
The same article also talks about the expectations from CEO & COO for their mutual relationship to flourish and be effective. One will quickly conclude that both PM Modi and Shri Amit Shah played their individual roles to perfection. One could not sense any trust deficit between the two.
Amit Shah & his team ensured that the organization was well-funded. No leader of BJP hesitated in asking for funds to run the organization. I recall a tweet by PM Modi seeking small donations. BJP leadership was aware of the importance of being financially strong.
A capable and effective team.
Individual brilliance lasts only so long. Success is always about a good team.
Apart from the CEO & his COO, BJP has a galaxy of highly capable central & local leaders. These leaders played a significant role in ensuring BJP’s electoral victory. Two examples include Ram Madhav & Himanta Biswas Sarma who furthered BJP’s North-East game plan and Devendra Phadnavis, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister.
BJP had managerial & operational leadership in almost every region. The central leadership provided strong support, space & stood behind them. Likewise, these leaders furthered PM Modi’s vision.
Added to this is the RSS, BJP’s ideological mentor, which worked relentlessly for the BJP. In the corporate world, independent influencers who vouch for your product are possibly synonymous to RSS.
#NewIndia was promoted by a well-funded, highly motivated organization having competent & effective managers led by a highly skillful COO of a visionary CEO.
#4. Effective partnerships & alliances. Collaborate to win.
BJP entered into strategic & effective alliances. Likewise, it exited alliances and/or let unreasonable & demanding partners leave the alliance. Most, if not all, of the alliance strategy, was put in place in advance of the start of campaigning. This strategy achieved two goals. The most obvious is to expand the reach and seat count (winnability). By executing its alliance strategy in advance, BJP gave time for the alliance to build (or improve) working relationship amongst their cadres. Both these goals ensured the effectiveness of these partnerships.
Political leadership is full of ego. Leaders in politics require extraordinary maturity and accommodation skills to enter into, maintain & nurture alliances.
An example of BJP’s mature leadership is the alliance with Shiv Sena in my home state, Maharashtra. Shiv Sena chief rarely had good words about PM Modi or Amit Shah. The party spokespersons used choice words. BJP & Shiv Sena competed aggressively against each other in the local municipal & district level elections. Yet, BJP leadership, central & state level, entered into an alliance with Shiv Sena with an equal share. The alliance won 41 of 48 seats.
The corporate world understands the importance of partnerships & alliances. Business leaders are mature to recognize that competition and collaboration can and often co-exist. They do not see much conflict in such an approach.
#NewIndia product received endorsements. The addressable market of #NewIndia expanded because of useful partnerships & alliances.
#5. Astute neutralization of competition. The competition did not help its cause.
Much has been written about how the opposition failed to communicate its story.
BJP leadership astutely planned and prepared to neutralize the opposition, national & regional. Amit Shah’s booth-level-management skills & candidates selection plus local alliances & partnerships played a significant role in neutralizing the competition.
Equally, the opposition did not help their cause and committed fundamental mistakes. The competition lacked consistent leadership, they did not share a clear & positive vision for the nation, entered into disoriented alliances, ran a disjointed campaign, and communicated a toxically negative messaging which was too personal.
By running a tireless campaign until the sixth phase (the near-end), Congress demonstrated grit & had the availability of the required arsenal. They did not use the arsenal effectively, amongst others. (P.S. Amongst the most baffling aspects of competition’s strategy are their statements after India’s response to Balakot strikes.)
The only source of competitive advantage now is a focus on knowledge of and engagement with customers.
James McQuivey in Digital Disruptor
Even once, BJP did not defocus on its engagement with the people. On the other hand, the competition was highly defocused and almost always focused their energies deriding PM Modi.
A good execution strategy demands a focus on your own strengths. Thus, corporate leaders will be more successful by focusing on their strengths rather than competition’s weaknesses.
#NewIndia focused its energies around its strengths and constantly engaged with the customers. #NewIndia astutely, aggressively & ruthlessly neutralized the competition.
In conclusion.
BJP planned, calibrated & recalibrated, entered into useful partnerships & alliances, had the organization spread & motivation, had highly capable & talented managers, and was singularly focused. And, BJP was led by a highly skilled COO of a CEO, who has a clear vision for the nation and is adept at communicating lucidly.
“He who is prepared for the future and he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy, but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.”
Chanakya
BJP planned, prepared, and executed better and with focus.
Apt comparison between political leadership and corporate leadership. Just would like to add to the COO part. CEO formulates the vision based on the contribution done by all CXOs, studying business goals, market forces and the end customer. His focus is diverted externally towards growth, COO on the other hand provides stability and a strong foundation to achieve the goals with the team of CXOs.