Leadership is a People Business
People follow individuals who care.
To be the type of leader who can inspire an entire population, you must first connect with them on a visceral level. Those who can reach the inner workings of others have subordinates, peers, and even adversaries that want to follow them out of choice, not an obligation.
That’s what we saw with Donald Trump in the United States, and we’re seeing play out now with the election of Italy’s new (and first female) Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Both leaders tapped into that connection, and those who supported them were “all-in,” and even those against them cannot stop talking about them - which means more eyes on…
I know nothing of what is happening in Italy besides the speech below and a few clips I’ve seen on Twitter, so do not expect this to focus on Italian politics; I’m only looking at the leadership elements I see at play. Whether you are for or against Meloni’s policies, it makes no difference to the discussion on whether her message and approach are effective and making an impact.
This speech made it clear that Prime Minister Meloni knew how to connect with her crowd. As I shared, I know nothing of this woman, yet her speech delivery, knowing full well that the entire world was watching, had me fired up and rooting for individual liberty for all Italians.
Inspiring and connecting to an audience through a commanding yet heartfelt delivery of your message is as close to a superpower as one can have.
Do you know what inspires people?
Being able to see themselves in the words of another.
Seeing Prime Minister Meloni speak on being a mother, wanting to reclaim her identity, and the clear desire to break away from the modern trend of erasing our individual nature - people watching think, “that’s me, and that is something I can get behind”. The country of Italy can rally behind someone who says, “We aren’t EUians, WE’RE ITALIANS!” Once a leader has the momentum of the crowd behind them, there’s no telling what the limit is to how far they can go.
There’s no stopping a person with an infinite support system at their back; every time they are knocked down, they will be helped back up, so even if they lose the strength to rise, the crowd around will support them.
This is why leaders must know and invest time in connecting with and better understanding their people; leaders need to be on the deck plates because when you work for your people, your people will work for you.
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