The World Is Against Us (And You Will Do As I Tell You To)
Scorched earth strategies are far stronger than the leaders who brandish them
Old Strategy, Modern Leader
Some leaders spur their troops by convincing them that the world has it in for them. By claiming that everyone outside their team is against them, the leader can achieve fierce and fervent cohesion. Nothing unites people faster than a common enemy advancing towards them. It runs deep in our genes: live together or die alone. Whether the threat is real or not is irrelevant once the leader has convinced the team. I believe this is one of the reasons this strategy is so effective in our post-truth world. However, we shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking this is a modern strategy: it is as old as any. It simply fits our current reality.
Offensively Refined
These days, some leaders have refined the strategy to a degree where it can be used on the offence too rather than exclusively as a defensive plan. As long as the team is one unit, homogeneously positive that the world is against them, the leader will be in charge of soldiers who will do their bidding. Nobody will question the ultimate goal because everybody is certain there is only one reason behind all they do: to stay afloat in a hostile environment. This is a…