Honestly, I started writing this thought and drawing a blank. What do you say? Some would argue he’s not a leader. I disagree. He is a leader, though you can debate how good of a leader he is. The word leader does not mean a ‘good leader’; a leader can be bad as well. There are many examples of bad leaders in politics and organisations, global and local, both present day and historically.
After some thought there are many strong leadership lessons to be learned from Trump:
1. Know your audience
Who are the people that are important to your cause? What motivates them? What language speaks to their minds and hearts?
2. Be passionate about what you believe in
Passion can be galvanising; people often get energised when around others who are passionate. Passion and behaving from personal belief can be motivating and even inspiring.
3. Have resilience
It’s not the fact you have a setback, it’s how you respond to that setback that can predict success. Being able to bounce back quickly from a failure, miscalculation, a change in direction or new information can be the difference between success or a downward spiral.
4. Communicate a vision
Have a vision of what you want to achieve; the simpler or clearer the better. Communicate it at every available opportunity, especially if you are the ultimate leader. Often you are the only one sharing the vision. Paint a picture of what your aspiration is so others can start to visualise it and start moving towards it.
Whether you agree with Trump’s vision or what he’s passionate about is not relevant here. What’s relevant is what you can learn from him for yourself as a leader, to influence the necessary people towards the (positive, enhancing) vision about which you are passionate and to persevere against the odds.
What aspect could you adopt to improve your leadership impact?
