Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we’re about to see what a leader looks like. He may not be a tremendous leader, but he’s going to make the current president look like the person we all know him to be…and that is most definitely not a leader.
Yes, the president may look like he can lead with all of his bluster and bluff. He looks like he can lead by being brutally abrasive and abusive. But these are not leadership traits in the sense that they accomplish a mission for an actual country (you know, like the USA). These are more leadership traits of one who is in it for himself.
And that’s the ground truth about Donald Trump. You may think that a businessman is a natural leader, but it’s just not the case here. A businessman is in it for his bottom line. His bottom line. And so, he exhibits behaviors that might be confused with leading, but in reality are actually designed to enrich himself and his company.
Face it: Trump isn’t even that good at business. He is a showman. He is one who has relied on the wealth and power of others, either by association or manipulation, to get where he was in “business.” He built a persona, and then relied on his ability to project that persona to go any further with it. With him, it’s always been the brand that he’s been out to protect.
And that doesn’t mean he’s got to build a consensus. And you can see from his behavior it’s certainly not that he has to work with others. This is definitely not leading in any sense that America needs.
Let’s get this straight: America is not a business. It cannot be led like a business. And it’s certainly not some kind of theatrical production (or reality TV show).
America is quite a bit more like a team. A team of many players, all who are important to the team. And it has to be led like a team. It has to be led by men and women who live and play and work differently, but who all live and play and work in the same place. And if that place succeeds, they all succeed.
A “business” man sees people as opponents or partners. He might pit one against another. He might hire and fire maliciously or capriciously. For him, it’s all about the brand and he’s going to fight for that brand, and if that brand is the man himself, he’ll take it all the more personally.
I don’t know how clear I can make this: America doesn’t need this from a “leader.” It doesn’t need someone who maliciously divides; someone who works against the purposes of the common good and for the purposes of the single man. And Trump has been so kind as to demonstrate this for us. America needs someone more like a coach. Someone who can gather with advisors (assistants) whom he trusts, and come up with a plan for the team to move forward…together.
And so back in the real world, we see that President-elect Biden is putting together a virus task force – something long overdue (that’s an incredible understatement) – and he and his advisors are going to come up with an actual plan to stem the flood of this pandemic. He’s not going to publicly belittle the people of this team. He’s not going to ridicule and present the “final word” that conflicts with sound and thoughtful advice from those who know much more than he about that for which they’ve been gathered. He’s not going to play them off each other or call their intelligence into question. He’s going to lead the team and give us confidence at least in that leadership, if not in the solutions they bring.
I do not agree with some of the things the Democrats stand for, but I appreciate leadership, and I think that we’re about to see what a real leader looks like. For the first time in a long time.
How refreshing.