The US President is arguably the world’s most famous person right now.
Time will tell what legacy he leaves but he is certainly leaving big handprints on the world stage.
Almost everyone has an opinion on the man, be it his style or his politics or both. I’m sure you do.
What do you think about his leadership style?
If we put aside his political objectives and his policy choices, are there things we can learn from his leadership that will help us in ours?
Cut through the emotional views and try to figure out why has he been successful? Incompetence didn’t get him elected as President of the United States.
Was it his Wisdom? His Courage? His Vision? His Accountability? His Discipline?
Is he Insecure? Passive? Selfish? Blaming? Reactive?
Let’s focus on 2 clear attributes that define him.
An outstanding positive trait of Trump is Courage.
He’s action oriented and definitely an innovator.
Whether you agree with him or don’t, you must admit he goes where others fear to tread. Says things, takes positions that are not copy paste or standard.
I believe it’s this that got him elected more than anything else.
How often do you think something but say something else? Are you afraid to offend, or be controversial? Or even stand out from the in-crowd? Or your boss?
Are you too polite?
Can you be too empathetic?
Would you get more done if you were less agreeable?
On the other hand, Donald Trump clearly avoids Accountability.
He’s a Blamer. Everything good is his doing and everything bad is someone else’s fault.
His “I’m the greatest” schtick is rarely rolled back by an admission of error. He still can’t admit he lost the 2020 election.
Truth is what he perceives and his answers to complex problems are usually simple ones.
It’s part of his marketing strength and so why he won 2 elections. It’s also a big reason why his last term in office ended in defeat.
Do you look for answers or attention? If the answer is that you made a mistake do you embrace it or deny it?
Do you trust silver bullet solutions or are you comfortable with ambiguity? Do you think you’re the greatest at everything?
Were your predecessors incompetent?
When you look at others who are arrogant, or incompetent, or lazy, do they see any of those things when they look at you?
A final observation on Donald Trump.
He’s tactical.
Beware of the gap between his personal behaviour and his public persona. A man who meticulously weaves his hair and applies makeup every morning is a man with discipline and focus, yet that same man wreaks havoc and distraction in his team and amongst his opponents.
That means the distraction and chaos is a deliberate tactical tool he’s using – to control the agenda and keep his opponents off guard, not the ravings of a lunatic. Targeted chaos works for him. There is method in his madness.
Do you ever step out of your niceness to achieve an objective?
Or bend the truth?
Or seed some uncertainty?
Would you get more done if you were less predictable?
When you judge political leaders who you love, or you hate, do you think you’re not prone to the same traits?
Do you think they might have something to teach you?
What do you think about Donald Trump?
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“…I might be wrong, but at least I’ve thought about it…”