Sunday, July 23, 2017

Lessons from a Trump Presidency

As I watch the Trump Presidency unfold, I think of my own work and wonder what lessons I am learning. Here are a few.
  • Use respect. Disrespectful words, actions and attitudes distance people from you.
  • Be honest. It's true none of us are right all the time, and that's okay, but it's best to be honest.
  • Let ambition support mission, but don't let ambition trump mission. Keep the mission of your work and role center stage.
  • Don't degrade those you work with, but instead seek collaboration with respect whenever possible.
  • Obey the laws and if you don't like them, work to change them.
  • Develop rather than destruct new laws, efforts, alliances, and ideas.
  • Steer clear of illegal, unethical activity--do what's right.
  • Surround yourself with good people, people who are well informed, bright, well intentioned, hard working, servant oriented, kind, compassionate, empathetic, visionary.
  • Engage with diverse voices--get to know the people you work with and for. Have respect for all. 
  • Don't be afraid to deal with tough issues, debate with civility, and reason with people to make good progress.
President Trump has been alarming, worrisome and troubling. Yet we know that no leader is all bad or all good--like all of us, you can always find points of positivity as well as points of challenge, it's a a continuum. The learning above is culled, in part, from Trump's troubling efforts to lead as well as a few positive efforts I've noticed. I'll let you figure out which points connect with his positive work and which points connect to his less-than-positive leadership.

In all, we are all teachers to each other--we teach with our good work and we teach with our bad examples too. Onward.