That Singh Thing
Why Canada’s NDP Leader is my new role model for self-confidence
I have a well-documented love for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. The charismatic (and dreamy) political leader has been campaigning hard this past month, to the point I worry about him when he sounds tired or parched.
I adore his wife and their relationship. I envy his social media game. But most of all, I admire his confidence when asked daily about his game plan when his party comes up short of leading the country.
If you’re unfamiliar with Canadian politics, we have six official parties to choose from. Historically the country has been lead by either the Liberals (left-leaning) or the Conservatives (right-leaning). A party needs to reach a certain number of seats to form a majority. Quite often, the ruling party wins enough to claim the most seats, but still falls short of a majority. In this case the “winning” party needs to negotiate with other parties to pass bills and stay in power. This is called a minority government.
The Liberals have had a minority government since 2019 and had hoped to ride a wave of pandemic popularity to gain more seats and secure a majority government. But if early polls are to be believed, Canada is bound for another minority government. What isn’t known is if it will be lead by the Liberals or Conservatives.
Jagmeet Singh leads the New Democrat Party. They’re left of the Liberals and their support has been key in keeping the minority Liberals in power. Statistically the NDP will again be in a position to support a minority government and negotiate their lofty, lefty ideals. So it makes perfect sense for reporters to try and get a sense of how the party would act as the third-place party (one with a surprising amount of power in a minority government).
But Jagmeet Singh isn’t interested in talking about how he’ll handle his loss. The ballots haven’t been counted yet. There’s still time to campaign, which means he’s like Schroedinger’s Prime Minister. He is just as likely to be PM as not. So he’s campaigning like he’s the next leader to help Canada come out of the pandemic. Early polls be damned.
Every time Singh is asked how he would support a minority government lead by either political rival, he answers with a confidence I wish I could bottle. His responses have the same three themes:
“I’m running to be Prime Minister”
“I want Canadians to know they don’t have to keep voting for the same two parties — there’s a viable alternative”
“I want voters to know the NDP is there to fight for them”
Whether or not the NDP represents your values is up to you to decide. I’m not here to influence your vote. What strikes me in his handling of this question is his undeterred confidence that he’s doing the right thing. That his vision is right. That his solutions will work.
As someone who struggles daily with imposter syndrome I find this confidence fascinating.
Seeds of doubt can grow into weeds of despair real quick if you don’t tap into your core values. I’m sure Jagmeet Singh has a Plan B for after the election. He’s a savvy politican and successful lawyer — he’s looked at all the angles. But at a time when he’s supposed to be influencing votes and selling his vision, he’s in it to win it and his sales game is strong.
In building the next phase of my career, I relied a lot on instinct. I made decisions based on my gut, which isn’t a bad approach. But it falls short when people start to question what I’m doing and how I’m building my business.
I’ve marketed other people and I’ve pitched ideas on behalf of others. Now I’m selling my own ideas and am feeling pretty vulnerable in the process. Maybe it’s time to tap into the self-confidence playbook of the most charismatic politician in Canada right now and find my own “Singh thing”.
When you’re selling your vision, there’s a time to hold true and a time to negotiate. The key is to hold true as long as you possibly can and see what kind of change that can bring.
