The power of personality politics
Zuraidah Ibrahim says in the age of the selfie, it's branding of the individual that matters more than ever before, irrespective of the political system in which they operate
The term "collective leadership" is much bandied-about. Yet, when was the last time you could identify more than one or two leaders within another country's cabinet?
Chances are, though, that if someone mentioned a modern-day politician riding a horse bare-chested, you'd know which world leader he was referring to. Neither his abs nor his equestrian ability has much to do with Vladimir Putin's job as Russian president. But such images have certainly transformed him from faceless KGB functionary to one of the world's most recognisable strongmen.
At the time of writing, Putin looked set to top a Time magazine reader's poll of the 100 most impressive individuals. His flexing of Russian muscle sends chills down neighbouring nations' spines, but he is also a poster boy for 21st century leadership: the populist man of action cutting through cobwebbed bureaucracies and making lowly citizens swell with nationalist pride.
In the age of the selfie, it should come as no surprise that the focus of politics has shifted from the collective to the individual. Even if a politician isn't particularly narcissistic, he or she can hardly deny the pulling power of personality through image-driven media.
Reams of articles have tracked President Xi Jinping's rise as an icon. A cult of personality is growing around him, resulting in a concentration of symbolic and actual power never witnessed since Mao Zedong . Like Putin, Xi has firmly established his power within the party hierarchy and beyond, while also burnishing a celebrity image.
Xi clearly recognises what it takes to command the stage in an age when mindshare isn't just determined by state media, but also dictated by millions of fingers tapping and swiping on their smartphone screens, deciding what goes viral.