I’ve never felt passionately one way or the other

That last sentence is probably the most important, IMHO. Real leaders don't fore-ordain their responses; they surf, respond to changing conditions. COVID didn't fit what Trump wanted to focus on - he wanted to watch the stock market numbers keep climbing, his seeming one metric for economic success - and so he tried to just wave it out of existence because it was inconvenient to him.

A real leader would have recognized the threat for what it was, and rallied the entire country around it. Don't tell me Americans weren't up to the job of beating this thing - when has a motivated America ever not stepped up? People decry "American exceptionalism" but the fact is, America has historically been durn exceptional when it decided to be, which is why we became the most powerful nation in the world.

This could have been his defining victory, the thing he could have used to rally the entire country behind him...just as all of America united behind George W. Bush after 9/11, and then charged into...Iraq? (Nevermind.) Instead Trump turned COVID into a culture war and managed to leave the country divided, embittered...and as collectively defeated as we've been in recent memory.

That is disasterous leadership.

Tiggity®

Oculus Spirit [97722]

TigerPulse: 100%

Posts: 64863

Joined: 7/13/02

That comment was the history major coming out again.

Aug 4, 2020, 10:16 AM [ in reply to Re: Trump wins on the issues. But ultimately fails on the ]

And the reason strong leaders tend to fold under duress is simple human nature really. Strong leaders are used to getting their way. They're used to controlling the subject at hand, and leading based off that control. Weak leaders (and people in general) are more reactive, and tend to respond to problems rather than control them. Weak leaders take what is thrown at them and figure out how best to deal with it. Strong leaders do the throwing and don't spend the time to analyze the problem and find the best solution, but force their solution no matter its success.

This is why leaders who are overall "weaker" leaders, often rise to greatness when confronted with serious problems. They have the capability of handling problems better, are pragmatic, and find the best solution to a no-win situation (covid is a perfect example of that situation). Strong leaders when confronted with something that is bad, recoil at it, and try to coerce their solution based on their wish, and not a pragmatic analysis of the problem(s). As such, their solution tends not to be the best, and that keeps them from rising to greatness.

And this is totally apolitical by the way. Kings, dictators, democracies, conservative or liberal, doesn't matter. Trump has put a spotlight on the issues, America agrees with him, but his execution of leadership has been horrible and really does nothing to further his agenda, on covid, building a wall, or anything else. A pragmatic leader also tends to be more open and informs people of things, lets them know the real situation, and people appreciate that openness and honesty and respond in kind. Strong leaders downplay problems, misinform, to further their agenda or solution. And people see through that and recoil, making them a lesser leader. With openness, honesty, truth, and open analysis, a leader who is otherwise weak can persuade people to act as they would not normally to address the problem as best as possible. You end up with a better result and in the end, you win as a leader when you are able to convince people to do things they otherwise would not do on their own. THAT is leadership. And the path to that often is not by forcing the issue, but informing, then enforcing with far greater success. And to conclude, strong leaders underestimate other people and overestimate themselves. Weak leaders often overestimate other people and underestimate themselves. But in the end, the weaker leader can rise to greatness when you're confronted with something that is truly bad (war, famine, or disease) because their higher regard for others allows them to have greater powers of persuasion than a leader who tries to control things and misinform. Likewise, in good times, a strong leader can often accomplish more than a weak leader.

People respond to honesty and trust. That's how I do my job actually. With 100% openness, honesty, and candidness. That's how I get things done others can't in my specific occupation. It really works and it's far easier on you and others, and you get a better result than going into a situation where you know everything and others know nothing, and just trying to accomplish your job without informing WHY you do what you do and the reason it's important. This is why, for example, everyone hates lawyers so much. No one trusts them. They know everything but keep their knowledge locked away to use only when needed to win their case for their client. Law is a battle, and both sides try to keep their powder dry, and as such, neither "side" is trusted. Now the best lawyers inform, are candid, and rise to the top because of that. Same with politicians really. Leaders of any kind. Because at the end of the day, truth prevails.

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

CNN: The voters who are still backing Trump

Re: CNN: The voters who are still backing Trump

Good read.***

Trump wins on the issues. But ultimately fails on the

Re: Trump wins on the issues. But ultimately fails on the

Re: Trump wins on the issues. But ultimately fails on the

Trump is no leader - but that conclusion can't be reached

This. So much this and what Tiggity said

That comment was the history major coming out again.

Re: CNN: The voters who are still backing Trump

Bill said it best.

And Trump's lack of leadership lead us

FBCoachSC..

Re: I’ve never felt passionately one way or the other

The retort of

So does he ever say how many voters voted for both

W T F***

Re: So does he ever say how many voters voted for both

TigerBoard POTD