Trump on
Leadership
Executive- ish Strategies
for Tough Time
David S. Hauser, Ph.D.
STAREWELL
PUBLISHING
STAREWELL PUBLICATIONS
Copyright Starewell Publications, 2020
All rights reserved
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First published in 2020 by Starewell
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Hauser, David
Trump on leadership: executive-ish strategies for tough times / David Hauser.
p. cm.
ISBN 9798677352218
1. Leadership. 2. Success in business.. I. Title
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It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.
- Ashleigh Brilliant
Contents
Introduction
Throughout the history of the United States there have been many great leaders. Some, such as Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, and Herbert Hoover, became presidents; others like George Wallace, William Boss Tweed, and Huey Long, made a dramatic impact on mankind without reaching the White House. There are countless individuals who could be labeled great leaders. Yet there is one person who rises above them all. One who is viewed as the greatest leader this nation has ever known. One who has inspired and moved people from all around the globe. That person use to be Abraham Lincoln.
I myself believed Lincolns hype after reading Donald T. Phillips classic book, Lincoln On Leadership: Executive Strategies For Tough Times . In addition to being a captivating biographical study, Phillips used a noteworthy period in American history to teach fundamental leadership theories and practices. He demonstrated how Lincolns leadership held this country together in a time when fragments were vehemently attempting to break it apart.
Lincoln inherited the Presidency with seven states having seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy had already elected Jefferson Davis as their President and the U.S. Congress, lacking any foresight into the imminent revolt, had lowered military spending and eliminated the federal governments ability to call out state militias. Yet even with these obstacles, Lincoln ultimately prevailed.
Lincoln and the lessons in Lincoln On Leadership became my blueprint on how to be the perfect leader. Accordingly, I preached what I had learned with every opportunity available. I cited Lincoln in leadership trainings, I used him as a model in university lectures, and I advised all up-and-coming leaders to read Phillips manifesto. Then I learned the full story; the story the fake news does not want you to know.
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most popular Presidents amongst academics and the general public. In almost every survey conducted over the last hundred years, Lincoln consistently ranks at the very top of the polls. But did you know he has an extensive track record of losing?
Lincoln lost elections for state legislature, U.S. Senate (twice), and Congress (twice) and was defeated in his bid for the Vice Presidential nomination.
Lincoln could not get into law school.
Lincoln borrowed money from a friend to begin a business, went bankrupt by the end of the year, and spent almost 20 years paying off the debt.
In addition, Lincoln lived a life of meager means. He grew up poverty-stricken, made a modest income, and died as one of the least wealthy Presidents of all time. Lincoln also never owned land, of which the Founding Fathers attached great significance, and he only had one wife. Plus, what the liberal media does not mention is that Lincoln barely won the Civil Warthe Battle(s) of Bull Run (1861 and 1862), the Battle of Chancellorsville (1863), and the Battle of Cold Harbor (1864) are just a few examples of Lincolns disastrous defeats.
I dont know about you, but I like Presidents who dont lose Civil War battles. So, after learning the truth about the infallible Lincoln, it was time to take a hard look at how I view leadership. I will not apologize for propagandizing my past pro-Lincoln views. I will, however, amend my stance and provide context. When I celebrated Lincoln as THE leader with whom to aspire towards, I sincerely believed this to be true. There had not been another leader of such a caliber with whom to contrast.
I stand by the idea that at one point in time, Abraham Lincoln was the greatest President in the history of the United States, but I think we can all agree that there is no room in the 21st century for Lincolns brand of lightweight, low-energy leadership. It is time to elevate our understanding of what it takes to be a great leader. Modern society cannot move forward if we continue to revere a man who never built a business empire. Or develop real estate. Or even host a primetime game show. We must accept the alternative fact that the greatest President this country has ever endured was elected in 2016. That person is Donald J. Trump.
If you see Trump as simply a great man without recognizing him as a great leader, it may be because we have been exposed to Trumps presidency on a regular basis through news programs and social media. There is so much exposure that distinguishing the reality of Trump from the myth has become increasingly difficult.
Every child and adult around the globe knows of the legend that is Donald Trump. Numerous books and articles have been written on various aspects of his life, many by Trump. He has appeared on a number of television shows as himself. Such popular programs as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , Suddenly Susan , and The Jeffersons needed someone of Trumps stature to personify wealth and success and he was the only one who qualified.
Moreover, the Trump name is everywhere. Trump has been associated with high-end residential apartments and condominiums, luxuriant hotels, affluent golf courses, and top-tier entertainment resorts. His likeness is on a University, a winery, and restaurants, not to mention brands of steak, beer, vodka, water, vitamins, and hot dogs. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and there have been countless movies written about Trump, along with investigative news segments and songs by such acclaimed artist as Morris Day and the Time , Kacey Jones , and Oral Bee and Mr. Pimp-Lotion .
The Trump name has adorned magazines, a train station, a travel booking website, a talk radio program, board games, video games, street names, toys, statues, and a species of fossilized sea urchin, just to name a few. In addition, his speeches, social media posts, and interviews have been the center of water cooler conversation all over the world. Yet, with everything that has been written, said, and sung about Trump, little is known about his distinctive leadership abilities.
Surprisingly, in the many definitions of leadership, there are few that adequately capture Trumps unique panache. Robert Hogan and Robert Kaiser in their ground-breaking 2005 article What We Know About Leadership came the closest when they wrote:
