How can you fight and win an informational war?
Winning an informational war isn’t about controlling every message—it’s about creating a movement, fostering loyalty, and strategically shaping the conversation.
Elon Musk’s presence at Trump’s inauguration sparked widespread speculation, with interpretations of his hand gestures fueling division among supporters and critics. This incident is just one example of a growing trend: in today’s hyper-connected world, leaders and companies face an ever-intensifying battle over public perception.
We’re in an era where the vox populi resonates online and the internet has become the battlefield of narratives and perception. This informational war is everywhere: in social media, advertising, but also at work. Anybody in a leadership position, public or not, is now participating.
Drawing inspiration from Pomerantsev’s TED Talk and including examples from tech leaders, we explore key principles that can help you navigate and win battles of information and disinformation.
Principle 1: Identifying with the leadership
The first key principle is straightforward. Public perception hinges on relatability. When people identify with you, they become your most powerful advocates in an informational war.
By creating a relatable persona and embodying values that resonate with a specific audience, you inspire loyalty and turn people into advocates who champion your image or company. They connect with your vision, mindset, story, or accomplishments. Aligning your mission with a broader societal or technological purpose strengthens this loyalty. You can find many examples of tech entrepreneurs showcasing innovation, ambition, or resilience.
Boyan Slat, founder of The Ocean Cleanup, embodies this principle. His mission to rid the oceans of plastic pollution has inspired global support, but what makes it truly effective is how personal it feels.
Boyan Slat often shares how, at 16, a scuba diving trip in Greece exposed him to a sea filled with plastic instead of fish. If you've ever swum in Greece or Spain, you can definitely relate to this experience. Highlighting early struggles or failures allows others to see their hopes and challenges mirrored in your own journey.
In addition, he hasn't wavered from this founding story over the years and connects it to a broader social cause: removing 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040. His consistency in both words and actions reinforces trust, turning followers into advocates who actively promote and defend his mission.
By the way, we have a super nice article about ideology and how this human motivator can help you build a better hiring offer and employer value proposition 👉 To read it.
Principle 2: Empowering people through leadership
A leader gives you wings—and in an informational war, empowered individuals become your greatest allies. By creating a mission-driven environment where everyone can contribute, you foster a sense of ownership and pride in the mission’s success. This personal investment naturally motivates people to share and advocate it, extending its reach.
Liang Wenfeng’s app, DeepSeek, is currently the talk of the tech industry. How did he achieve this? First, he strategically hired PhD students from China’s top universities—individuals eager to prove themselves. Next, he crafted a compelling narrative centered on solving "the hardest questions in the world". He further strengthened this collective drive by emphasizing a sense of patriotism, uniting individual contributions into a collective momentum to advance China’s position as a global innovation leader. By inspiring his teams to see their work as part of something important and transformative, he empowered them to become vocal advocates for the mission.
Publicly acknowledging and rewarding contributions further reinforces this sense of collective progress. By open-sourcing the latest version of DeepSeek and showcasing academic papers authored by his teams, Wenfeng not only empowers individuals but also ensures their achievements become part of a broader narrative that resonates beyond the organization’s walls. This approach turns empowered individuals into amplifiers of your message—an essential advantage in winning an informational war.
Principle 3: Creating a sense of community
A sense of community fosters a collective identity among your advocates. By promoting the idea that people are “all in this together”, you create solidarity and direction. Imagine it as a chain: individuals linked to one another, connected to a leader, and united by a common cause. This interconnected network becomes resilient, and capable of withstanding external criticism.
Consider Balaji Srinivasan, a leading voice in the crypto world who advocates for Bitcoin as the successor to the US Federal Reserve, blockchain technology, and decentralized countries. His book The Network State has inspired a movement of individuals who believe in building new societies founded on technology and innovation.
But building on this vision, Srinivasan launched the Network School—a space where individuals dissatisfied with current societal structures can connect, collaborate, and create alternative systems. Social media also plays a critical role here, offering a platform for people to unify and coordinate instantly, regardless of geographic location.
"Communities form – on the internet initially – around a set of shared interests or values. Then they acquire land, becoming physical “countries” with their own laws," - Balaji Srinivasan
Balaji Srinivasan has cultivated a global community dedicated to reimagining governance and society. To strengthen unity, consider using slogans, branded merchandise, or distinct symbols that create a clear identity and differentiate members from outsiders. A quick search for #TheNetworkState on LinkedIn or X will reveal a wave of posts mentioning Balaji Srinivasan’s mindset, book, and movement.
As more people join, your community gains strength and influence. To expand it, you can rely on the bandwagon effect—joining a cause based on the popularity or acceptance of others. Individuals become involved not solely because they believe in your mission, but because of its growing popularity or because someone they know is part of it. This social proof further reinforces your community, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of engagement and advocacy.
Principle 4: Introducing (real) facts and numbers
Shock numbers—surprising or dramatic figures—capture attention and help rally people around your cause or message. Through these numbers, you tell a story that you want people to enjoy, believe in, and eventually share.
Take Trump's announcement of the Stargate project which exemplifies his use of clear and digestible statistics to illustrate his points.
However, numbers and data without context can mislead. People rely on mental shortcuts that can lead to misinterpretation. An effective method to counter this is social math, which blends stories and numbers by drawing comparisons to familiar things. For example, instead of saying ‘8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean annually,’ it’s more impactful to say, ‘That’s a garbage truck dumping plastic into the ocean every minute.’ People are more likely to share your facts when they understand them and feel connected to them.
But are these numbers always accurate? Many tech leaders have fudged figures (and still do it!) to make their businesses appear more successful. For instance, in 2015, Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel claimed the platform was approaching 100 million daily active users, even though the actual figure was closer to 89 million.
But in the long run, misinformation erodes trust. Even in an era where falsehoods spread rapidly, winning an informational war isn’t about distorting reality—it’s about presenting the truth in a way that resonates. The best strategies align facts with the audience’s beliefs without compromising integrity. People follow those they trust, and trust is built on transparency.
Principle 5: Having the monopole of strong emotions
This leads to the final key element: mastering the power of strong emotions.
Everything mentioned above from crafting compelling stories to highlighting key facts forges positive emotional connections that resonate deeply. Emotions linger in people’s minds, making your message more memorable and impactful.
Mastering emotional resonance can mobilize massive audiences—even when the underlying business case is weak. Adam Neumann, co-founder of WeWork, didn’t just sell office spaces; he sold a vision of community, innovation, and ‘elevating the world’s consciousness.’ Investors and employees alike bought into this dream, seeing WeWork not just as a company, but as a movement. His charisma and storytelling created deep emotional engagement, making people believe in the company’s potential beyond its financial fundamentals. While WeWork’s business ultimately collapsed, Neumann’s ability to inspire devotion and shape perception remains a case study in the sheer power of emotion in an informational war.
In the context of an informational war, owning the emotional narrative is a powerful advantage. When you evoke strong emotions, you can quickly mobilize large audiences, foster loyalty, and drive action. To shape perception and drive action, you need to activate four key triggers:
Cognitive (Logic & Facts) – Give people rational reasons to support you. (Example: Tesla’s data-driven case for EV adoption.)
Affective (Emotions & Storytelling) – Make them feel something. (Example: Patagonia’s environmental activism sparks loyalty.)
Conative (Intent to Act) – Convert belief into action. (Example: Kickstarter campaigns turning inspiration into funding.)
Action (Long-Term Commitment) – Reinforce identity so they stick with you. (Example: Apple fans defending the brand despite high costs.)
When these elements work together, you don’t just inform—you create movements.
Conclusion
In the digital age, the battlefield of influence is shaped by narratives, perceptions, and emotions. If you're a leader, you'll be required to think about these building blocks very consciously, whether it's to shape the vision and culture of your business, or it's to respond to a crisis.
Winning an informational war isn’t about controlling every message—it’s about creating a movement, fostering loyalty, and strategically shaping the conversation. By cultivating relatability, empowering advocates, building strong communities, leveraging compelling facts, and mastering emotional resonance, you can tilt the scales in your favor. In a world flooded with competing narratives, those who understand how to navigate this landscape will not only survive but thrive.
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