Leadership Lessons from President Trump

 

Photo by Michael Schofield on Unsplash

C.S. Lewis wrote, on his sermon The Weight of Glory, that there is no ordinary people, that we have never spoken with a mere mortal. This truth has served me well, since over the years I have learned that no matter who I interact with, that person can be God's instrument to show me something about myself and, maybe, even about His Beauty.

Learning from anyone, then, it is a sign of spiritual maturity. I am not saying it is an easy task, and I am not saying it is a painless task. Learning from anyone, considering every single person I interact with non-ordinary and non-merely-mortal, does not mean I must accept everything that person stands for.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. - The Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians

So, yes, I can learn a lesson or two about leadership from president Trump. And yes, just in case there is any wondering about it, I also learned from president Obama.

Here they are, my top 6 leadership lessons from our 45th President, in no particular order of importance:

• Kindness matter.
• Do good, even when it is not popular.
• Be aware of your influence; manage it with humility, compassion, generosity
• Subscribe to a greater story
• Get good advice
• Remember your identity

This post was originally longer than this, with a detailed explanation of each of the leadership lessons above, but since one of my purposes is to foster conversation, I have decided not to write down here all the details - not right now, anyway - and leave it as it is. I am confident that by March 2021 we will have more places open, where we will be able to sit for a conversation, and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.

First round is on me!

Consider this.

How difficult is it for you to learn from someone you dislike?

How easy is it for you to say "I hate this person"?

What does your opinion of C.S. Lewis' idea say about your own heart?