Soft power is getting results without the use of force. It’s the opposite of hard power, which is getting results using force. Words that are associated with soft power are dynamic, flexible, connected, transformative – all the words that say change is possible without destruction.

Some, like Professor Joseph Nye who first made the distinction, call it the Power of Attraction –the power that draws people to work with you and support you in your endeavours. How much you have depends on how much others appreciate the way you are in the world, what you stand for. Also how open you are to engagement.

If you want to think of a soft powered individual, think Barack Obama. Everyone – even Republicans - want to be around him, work with him, be his friend. With that kind of power, he can move quickly and effectively.

In the world of international relations, soft power arises out of listening and mediating, being democratic, acting like a global citizen and having attractive goods and services on offer. Soft power is the opposite of using arms, money or the threat of exclusion to set the terms of your engagement. If hard power is the one-way deal, then soft power is reciprocity - mutual agreement, mutual benefit, mutual appreciation.

The Soft Power Network is for those who are ready to explore the potential of soft power - what its elements are, how it functions in our personal, social and political lives - and champion it.
Almost twenty years ago, Joseph Nye made a distinction... more...