From my perspective, one of the biggest questions in the study of leadership is how to challenge and ultimately topple bad leaders. Donald Trump, forty-fifth President of the United States of America, is a textbook example of bad leading. His campaign was built upon divisive rhetoric and coded language that played to a disenfranchised base. His inauguration began with lies about the number in attendance and signaled a commitment to deconstruct as much of his predecessor's accomplishments as possible. Even though there were some who initially hoped that he would pivot to a better self, Trump's years in office are more reminiscent of the wrecking ball carnage that his business and media career reflects.
As the U.S.A. comes to the close of Trump's term of office, efforts to dismantle universal health insurance have faltered, the nation's reputation around the world has declined, former secondary national powers have seeped into the gaps that were left, a pandemic has ravaged its citizens, the economy gasped for breath, and protestors fill the streets demonstrating that injustice will no longer be tolerated. All the while, Trump continues to paint a picture of euphoria over economic, scientific, and political success.
Two recent articles in The Atlantic during the first week of June 2020 provide clear evidence of Trump's final phase of decline and the ultimate toppling of his authoritarian regime. The first article was authored by Thomas Wright, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, and includes analysis of the chaotic foreign policy, and frequent contradiction by Trump of his own people, that are part of his downward spiral. The spiral began with an administration where there were at least some adults in the room trying to constrain him and then moved on to the hubris and arrogance he adopted to defend against growing resistance. The final stage is a more or less complete unraveling of any coherent approach to "Making America Great (AGAIN?)," the promise on which he based his rise to the Presidency.
The second article, authored by Atlantic staff author, Franklin Foer, extends Wright's logic by reviewing how authoritarians ultimately decline in influence and fail in their ability to govern. Citing the scholarship of Gene Sharp, Foer says, "Sharp's foundational insight is embedded in an aphorism: 'Obedience is at the heart of political power.' A dictator doesn't maintain power on his own; he relies on individuals and institutions to carry out his orders. A successful democratic revolution prods these enablers to stop obeying. It makes them ashamed of their complicity and fearful of the social and economic costs of continued collaboration." Governors who begged for help in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately determined their own path. Mayors rejected military intervention in their cities in handling George Floyd inspired protests. Military leaders decried the use of force to disperse peaceful protests and media and citizens puzzled or laughed at a photo opportunity using symbols of faith that contradicted the core principles of the faithful. The democratic revolution is underway and Trump is losing "individuals and institutions to carry out his orders."
Donald Trump is a very sad example of someone who aspired to leadership but failed because of a lack of self-understanding, reflection, contextual understanding of the broader world, arrogance about his own authority, and apparent unwillingness to learn. These are sobering lessons for any student or scholar of leadership.
As the U.S.A. comes to the close of Trump's term of office, efforts to dismantle universal health insurance have faltered, the nation's reputation around the world has declined, former secondary national powers have seeped into the gaps that were left, a pandemic has ravaged its citizens, the economy gasped for breath, and protestors fill the streets demonstrating that injustice will no longer be tolerated. All the while, Trump continues to paint a picture of euphoria over economic, scientific, and political success.
Two recent articles in The Atlantic during the first week of June 2020 provide clear evidence of Trump's final phase of decline and the ultimate toppling of his authoritarian regime. The first article was authored by Thomas Wright, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, and includes analysis of the chaotic foreign policy, and frequent contradiction by Trump of his own people, that are part of his downward spiral. The spiral began with an administration where there were at least some adults in the room trying to constrain him and then moved on to the hubris and arrogance he adopted to defend against growing resistance. The final stage is a more or less complete unraveling of any coherent approach to "Making America Great (AGAIN?)," the promise on which he based his rise to the Presidency.
The second article, authored by Atlantic staff author, Franklin Foer, extends Wright's logic by reviewing how authoritarians ultimately decline in influence and fail in their ability to govern. Citing the scholarship of Gene Sharp, Foer says, "Sharp's foundational insight is embedded in an aphorism: 'Obedience is at the heart of political power.' A dictator doesn't maintain power on his own; he relies on individuals and institutions to carry out his orders. A successful democratic revolution prods these enablers to stop obeying. It makes them ashamed of their complicity and fearful of the social and economic costs of continued collaboration." Governors who begged for help in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately determined their own path. Mayors rejected military intervention in their cities in handling George Floyd inspired protests. Military leaders decried the use of force to disperse peaceful protests and media and citizens puzzled or laughed at a photo opportunity using symbols of faith that contradicted the core principles of the faithful. The democratic revolution is underway and Trump is losing "individuals and institutions to carry out his orders."
Donald Trump is a very sad example of someone who aspired to leadership but failed because of a lack of self-understanding, reflection, contextual understanding of the broader world, arrogance about his own authority, and apparent unwillingness to learn. These are sobering lessons for any student or scholar of leadership.
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