Rise of the Outsider Insurgents

"Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world," wrote William Butler Yeats in 1919. Today, in and out of the US, there is unprecedented frustration and even anger with our "things fall apart" status quo—and we are seeing a fascinating rise of what I call "outsider insurgents" or "change leaders."

These trends are indeed global. Look at Justin Trudeau's stunning Liberal Party victory over Stephen Harper's decade-long incumbent leadership. And remember that China's Xi Jinping, South Korea's Park Geun Hye, and India's Narendra Modi all originally came to power as change leaders.

In the US, the "We Need Smith" project, run by co-author Scott Miller and colleagues Pat Caddell and Bob Perkins, found as far back as 2013 that more than 80 percent of Americans believe politicians protect their own power as opposed to doing what's right for the people; they believe the system is rigged by incumbent politicians, Wall Street and Super PACs. It's what Mark Leibovich's recent New York Times Sunday Magazine cover story calls: "Profound exhaustion with our politics."

Today, in fact, support for outsider-insurgents Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carley Fiorina and Bernie Sanders totals over 80 percent of Republican and Democratic voters—and two, Trump and Sanders, have in many ways divested themselves from their respective parties.

What's happening here? And what are the lessons for political and business leaders today?

First, successful political and business leaders must think like outsider-insurgents and operate as change leaders. This is where President Obama, who we advised in both the 2008 and 2012 campaigns, has faced ongoing challenges. For example, a recent Fortune magazine survey listed the world's top 50 leaders and did not even mention the 44^th President of the United States. Instead, the number one leader in the world today: Pope Francis.

To date, Pope Francis is a genuine change leader who is strategically and radically re-shaping the Catholic Church's 2000-year-old culture, re-focusing the Vatican's murky financial structure and using the communications strategy and skills we saw during his recent US visit to rally global audiences. Pope Francis is leading change across his simple, focused, and compelling message about fighting poverty and fixing inequality.

So the lesson in the political world, as in the corporate world, is this: The leaders succeeding today are change leaders—outsider-insurgents focused on transforming an incumbent status quo and re-defining some part of the future. Today, more than ever, change is the fuel of great leadership.

Second, successful leaders work from the principle that "truth is the best propaganda." Research shows voters are increasingly dissatisfied with status quo "political correctness." They are looking for frankness, truth and candor. For example, one factor in both Donald Trump's and Bernie Sanders' rise in their respective primary fights is the sense that they are leveling with voters in ways that are different from incumbent leaders and front runners. Today, there is unique power in the leadership formula: Tell your people the truth, tell them where you are going—and tell them how you'll take them there…."

Third, successful leaders are playing more and more offense and constantly controlling the dialogue. Look again at Pope Francis. One of his leadership lessons is to constantly move onto the attack, against the status quo, against financial misspending, against an enemy that you yourself define.

And look at the current movie about our first corporate client, Steve Jobs. Above all, the Apple founder was a leader known for playing offense. Back in the 1980s, we were on our way to ultimately advising 16 winning global political campaigns. Back then, Jobs asked our company to come talk to Apple about how to win a political campaign—because he loved the do-or-die reality of an election day, no excuses, no second chances. And Jobs loved the way we were advising insurgent candidates and helping them build insurgent strategies to play more and more offense.

This principle of insurgency has become even truer today: Because of the dynamics of the information revolution and the power of exponential change. Today, it is no accident that the political and business leaders who are succeeding are change agents—using truth as propaganda, playing offense against their respective status quos. For these successful leaders, this means controlling definitions—defining yourself and your leadership values, defining the "stakes" for change, and defining the future.

The world's and America's next great leaders will drive transformation because electorates and consumers remain increasingly dissatisfied with their own status quo. Today, these great leaders will think like outsider insurgents, use truth as the best propaganda and play more and more offense because this is the only way to lead greatly.

David E. Morey is Chairman and CEO of DMG Global, a strategic consultancy with offices in the US and Asia. He is co-author with Scott Miller of the award-winning book, The Underdog Advantage, and the forthcoming book, The Leadership Campaign (Career Press 2016)—and is Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Morey has advised 16 winning global presidential campaigns and works with the CEOs and leaders of some of the world's largest companies.