Pussy Riot and 21st Century Leadership

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of Pussy Riot, escorted by police as she arrives at a Moscow court on Monday. credit: Reuters

The Russian protesters known as Pussy Riot continue to endure suffering at the hands of President Putin’s police state.

For the charge of “hooliganism”–recognizable from the Soviet Union legal system–the women face as much as seven years in prison.

They were simply expressing themselves in ways that would be entirely protected in the United States under the First Amendment.

Now, the whole world is watching. From our computer monitors in our homes and offices, from our smart phones in our cars or in coffee shops, we can witness the remorseless workings of a system that used to be seen only in fragments or in novels and non-fiction after the fact.

The new world of 21st century leadership is dawning, however improbably, over Russia.

21st Century Leadership Challenge

Vladimir Putin stands astride the Russian political system.

He also occupies a place in the larger world, no matter what he might wish. His regime is poised at the intersection of 19th century thinking, 20th century authoritarianism, and 21st century leadership and global communications.

What role will social media play in the unfolding of this story?

How can global communications supplement traditional diplomacy, both public and private?

If Putin disregards international opinion, how will that translate to his popularity in Russia? What will the consequences be for his regime?

What risks does Putin run, oppressing his critics in this way? History is replete with examples of political leaders whose influence was enhanced following unjust imprisonment.

Will the women of Pussy Riot emerge as recognized 21st century leaders? Will they accrue political power of their own, made possible by the government’s ham-handed oppression? Could Putin be inadvertently creating a new source of domestic opposition?

How will other nations respond? President Obama? Chancellor Merkel? Others?

Will private enterprises with investments in Russia demand to be heard? Will their customer base demand it?

What lessons will other leaders, of nations and enterprises, take away from this experience?

What can you do?

One thing is certain: history is unfolding in real-time in Moscow. The whole world will be part of it–no matter what President Putin might wish.

UPDATE: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova’s closing statement is an instant classic–a rebuke not only to Mr. Putin’s gangster regime, but to the unworthy spectacle of so much of American politics at this historic moment.

Pussy Riot and 21st Century Leadership