Many in India would be aware of Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Dominic Cummings, Vladislav Surkov and Lu Wei- all names that were active in different parts of the globe at different times, associated with different world leaders.
Bannon and Conway were with Donald Trump, Cummings with Boris Johnson, Surkov with Vladimir Putin and Wei with Xi Jinping.
The commonality among all these names was their role as trusted strategists for their respective leaders, and their involvement in shaping media and communication strategies to align with their leaders’ needs.
In the United States, Bannon played a key role in Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, where he used alternative media to amplify Trump’s messaging. Conway, on the other hand, managed Trump’s public image and media interactions as a key advisor.
In the United Kingdom, Cummings was regarded as someone who handled Boris Johnson’s Brexit campaign and premiership with data-driven strategies and memorable slogans, showcasing a tech-savvy approach to narrative management.
Russia’s Vladislav Surkov, a longtime aide to Vladimir Putin, worked on media management to bolster his leader’s image while operating as a behind-the-scenes “technologist.”
Similarly, in China, Lu Wei oversaw focus
These individuals highlight the critical role of trusted strategists in modern political communication, each adapted to the unique national contexts and their leader’s way of thinking.
These individuals, with specific roles, are often the target of critics and opposition leaders for ‘pulling strings behind the scenes’ – as they see it – to shape public opinion or push agendas.
Another reason for which they face the attack is that their work happens in the shadows—advising leaders, crafting strategies, and influencing decisions without always showing their cards.
However, amidst all the criticism, the critics forget that the strategies of these hand-picked officials are designed to win for only one side- the political leader they are working for, their loyalty lies with him.
For outsiders, it is difficult to realise that the opaque hidden approach that they execute is inherent to the job they are doing.
The work they do cannot be done in the full glare, narrative building, like political strategies, to counter one side, gives the best result when done in a limited participant setup.
These strategists are lightning rods because they thrive in the messy, high-stakes world of political maneuvering—where perception often outweighs openness, and loyalty -a quality that is moving towards extinction rapidly- trumps everything else.
Irrespective of criticism they face, they play a key role in managing the flow of information between political leaders and the public. They act as gatekeepers by determining what information is to be released, how it is to be presented, and who it should reach. They filter and shape details to align with their leaders’ goals.
The challenging work- that involves navigating complexities including understanding media dynamics, political landscapes, and public perception, responding swiftly to crises, opposition attacks, or shifting digital trends- requires expertise and strategic thinking to succeed in complex, extremely high-pressure environments, something not many would like to do if given the opportunity.