Global transformation of leadership: Is global power still in the hands of elected governments, or has it been stealthily usurped by a handful of individuals who wield influence with the unchecked authority of modern-day emperors? As world leaders abandon diplomacy in favour of intimidation, replace strategic alliances with transactional power plays, and treat global institutions as mere obstacles to be circumvented, the very foundation of international order is under siege. Are we still witnessing a structured system, or are we on the precipice of an era defined by chaos and unpredictability? If today’s strongmen operate more like mafia bosses than statesmen, then what does that mean for the rest of the world?
The world is experiencing a profound shift, not just in geopolitics but in the very nature of leadership itself. The post-World War II order — once upheld by institutions like the United Nations, and the principles of multilateralism — is unravelling. In its place, a new disorder is taking shape, where power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of strongmen who operate with blatant disregard for institutions, treaties, and diplomatic norms. These leaders behave less like elected officials and more like autocratic powerbrokers.
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World of transactional diplomacy
From Washington to Moscow, Beijing to Budapest, and beyond, a new breed of leadership has emerged—one that thrives on coercion, loyalty tests, and transactional deal-making. These figures share common traits: an insatiable hunger for power, a disdain for democratic processes, and an unshakable belief that the world should bend to their will. They do not negotiate; they dictate. They do not build alliances; they extract loyalty. The global order, once based on mutual agreements and balance of power, has become a chessboard where weaker states are mere pawns.
The recent realignment of the United States at the United Nations, where it found itself siding with Russia and North Korea against Ukraine and European nations, exemplifies this shift. Traditional alliances, once thought unbreakable, are now discarded in favour of brute-force diplomacy. Germany’s likely new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has even warned that NATO could collapse as early as June 2025. The old rulebook is being rewritten—by men who see rules as mere inconveniences.
Weaponisation of information
The ‘new dons’ of global politics do not just wield political power; they control narratives. In the modern authoritarian playbook, the most effective weapon is not tanks or missiles but information. State-backed media, social media algorithms, and aggressive disinformation campaigns ensure that reality is whatever the strongman decides it should be. From Russia’s tightly controlled state news to China’s censorship-driven digital sphere and the alt-media networks bolstering Western populists, the truth is increasingly for sale.
Propaganda has reached new heights with the rise of AI-driven misinformation, deepfake videos, and bot-driven disinformation campaigns. The manufacturing of consent has become more sophisticated—facts can be distorted, erased, or even created at will. As the line between reality and fiction blurs, authoritarian leaders manipulate public perception with unprecedented precision.
Fragmentation of global power
As propaganda tightens its grip, global power structures are also undergoing a transformation. The world is no longer a cooperative community of nations but a fragmented battlefield of competing power blocs. The United States, China, and Russia are redrawing spheres of influence, often forcing smaller nations into strategic alignments they may not have the ability to resist. The consequences are stark. Ukraine remains a warzone, trapped between Russian aggression and Western ambitions. Taiwan stands as a flashpoint in an increasingly militarised Indo-Pacific. Economic coercion has replaced military aggression as the dominant tool of global dominance.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative has transformed infrastructure projects into geopolitical weapons, ensnaring developing nations in debt traps that erode their sovereignty. Meanwhile, Western nations weaponise trade sanctions, cutting off adversaries from financial systems to cripple them economically. Warfare today is economic, and no nation is immune.
Rise of corporate power
Governments are no longer the sole architects of global power. Multinational corporations—especially Big Tech and Big Finance—have evolved into quasi-governments themselves. Today’s most powerful figures are not just presidents and prime ministers but also CEOs of trillion-dollar corporations that control the flow of money, data, and political discourse.
Silicon Valley platforms dictate which political movements gain visibility. Hedge funds influence the fate of national economies. Private military firms operate as de facto armies, enforcing the will of the highest bidder. The traditional monopoly of governments over power has eroded; states now find themselves negotiating with corporations whose influence often surpasses their own.
Leadership: The psychology of power
This shift is not only political but deeply psychological. The rise of megalomaniac leaders marks a fundamental departure from traditional governance. These leaders see themselves not as representatives of the people but as embodiments of the state itself. Their movements bear their names, their faces are their brands, and opposition is seen as treason.
From Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin, and others who follow their playbook, these figures cultivate an aura of invincibility. They thrive on mass adulation, suppress dissent, and shape governance into a form of personal rule. Trump’s foreign policy, for instance, mirrors the strategies of a business empire rather than a democratic superpower. His affinity for autocrats like Putin and Kim Jong-un suggests a world where alliances are built on mutual interests rather than shared values, often at the expense of weaker nations. Under such leadership, diplomacy becomes a marketplace where loyalty is bought, threats are currency, and survival depends on compliance.
Collapse of order and rise of disorder
What emerges from this landscape is not a new world order but a new world disorder. Institutions that once maintained global stability—such as the UN, WTO, and even the European Union—are being undermined by leaders who view them as obstacles rather than safeguards. The delicate balance of power that once prevented large-scale conflicts is shifting toward a more volatile, unpredictable system.
For India, this transformation presents both opportunities and risks. As a nation with a long history of navigating complex geopolitical dynamics, it must tread carefully. India’s position as a regional power and a key player in multilateral institutions will be tested. With its strategic autonomy increasingly challenged by the demands of emerging power blocs, India must decide whether to adapt to the new rules of brute-force diplomacy or carve out an independent path that upholds democratic values and institutional stability.
History has shown that no empire, no leader, rules indefinitely. Megalomania inevitably collapses under its own weight. The only question is: how much damage will be done before that collapse occurs? As global disorder intensifies, the world must prepare for the consequences of a system where power is increasingly unaccountable—and where the cost of unchecked authority may be higher than we can afford to pay.
Srinath Sridharan is a strategic counsel with 25 years experience with leading corporates across diverse sectors including automobiles, e-commerce, advertising and financial services. He understands and ideates on intersection of finance, digital, contextual-finance, consumer, mobility, Urban transformation, and ESG. Actively engaged across growth policy conversations and public policy issues.