(Newswire.net — June 22, 2015) Irvine, CA — The ‘Donald’ has thrown his hat into the overcrowded political ring this week and he’s ready to duke it out in his bid for the ultimate “CEO” job.
President of the United States.
With his usual flare for the dramatic, he “Trumped” all the other candidates who are running for POTUS – including two candidates with famous names-Bush and Clinton.
During his announcement speech, the admittedly “really rich” billionaire bragged about how much money he has, and defended himself to critics in a series of seemingly off the cuff statements about both foreign and domestic policies, his fellow candidates and even his own personality, “I’m really a very nice guy…” he quipped.
Clearly Trump has been a wildly successful businessman. He’s shown that he can overcome financial problems; his corporations have declared bankruptcy no less than 4 times, and he’s managed to avoid declaring personal bankruptcy each and every time. But does Trump really have the gravitas, experience and leadership qualities to be our commander in chief?
The Trump PR machine has built the billion dollar brand beyond his beginnings as a real estate developer into into the media and hundreds of other enterprises. From an economic standpoint, his credentials may make him qualified to iron out the financial woes of the United States. For decades, however, American’s have preferred lawyers and career politicians to lead our country. Are we ready for a business man in the White house? Are we so tired of the ‘say-anything-for-a-vote’ politicians, that we’ll vote in an arrogant media mogul as our president?
Maybe. But, what about leadership?
According to management consultant, Kevin Ford, Sr. Principal at Strategic Design Group, “Politics aside, it might be difficult for Trump to adjust to the constraints that the POTUS must adhere to.“ He explains, “In order to be successful in politics, you have to demonstrate true leadership skills. The ability to lead, engage and disagree without being disagreeable is vital.”
Although Trump has brought an element of entertainment to the race, is his leadership style appropriate for politics? Kevin Ford says that it’s very possible that Trump’s brash demeanor and avoidance of being politically correct could help the candidate. “The American people, while easily swayed by sound bites, have also grow tired of the same old B.S. spewed by our entrenched political machines.” Ford explains, “If a candidate ever really told the truth, without concern for how it showed up in a poll, it would be a first. In business, leaders often have to tell their organizations bad news…a stock downgrade, recall, whatever. Leaders who disseminate bad news authentically always do better than those who sugar coat it. Trump has the ‘I don’t care what you think’ attitude that may be a refreshing change in American politics.”
“Many of Trump’s statements are politically incorrect,” explains Kevin Ford, “He’s got the moxie to say many of the things that need to be said and are not. He has this incredible gift for saying exactly what many people think. In most cases, people respect leaders for being brutally honest, even if the pill to be swallowed is a bitter one. As a management consultant, I’ve seen leaders lose their edge by trying to lead by over powering or placating-neither of which is a good strategy.
Ford’s experience in leadership and management keeps him out of the political arena, but the skills he develops for his clients bridge the gap between government and business. “It doesn’t matter if you are selling ideas, policy or product, leading authentically and with passion is vital. In order to communicate and influence people effectively, people have to be open to your ideas. With my business clients, we invest as much time in preparing an idea as we do delivering it.”
Regardless if Trump wins the nomination or the presidency, the leadership skills necessary to lead a country or a business must come authentically to be well received by those you desire to influence.
We’ll see if Trump can strike the right balance to do both.