An expert explains how you can avoid the same mistakes as Donald Trump, whos refusing to make a graceful exit from the White House
Donald Trump feels the need to remain significant. Pic/AFP
Right now, Donald Trump is behaving like one of those children in gully cricket matches who refuse to leave the pitch even after getting out since the bat happens to be theirs. The outgoing President of the US is showing no signs of exiting the White House gracefully, threatening to use every trick in the book to hold on to his seat. But in the process, he's coming across as nothing but a sore loser, the type of person who will disregard his lost mandate and instead level baseless allegations of fraud to deflect any blame. That's an unhealthy tactic, and there are lessons that even corporate workers can learn from the petulant manner that Trump is behaving in.
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Take responsibility
Anand Chulani
Success coach and leadership advisor Anand Chulani tells us that the crux of the problem lies in the need that Trump has for significance. Chulani says, "His psychology is such that he thinks, 'If I am in power, I am significant. But if I don't have power, I don't have significance, and that means I'm a loser.' So, what he's really fighting for is power and significance to prove that he is not a loser, and his natural way of going about it is to not take responsibility for his actions and say that the reason for his defeat lies somewhere else."
Care about culture
This need for significance, Chulani adds, is also reflected in corporate CEOs who want to get results but don't care about their company's culture. He explains that there are three 'Cs' in a firm's functioning — cash, character and culture — and the best companies balance high performance (indicating cash) with character and culture. Chulani says, "The number one challenge that I have seen in the companies I have worked with is succession planning. No king or queen lasts forever. And if you're looking at the greater good of the kingdom, or company, you have to look at the next cycle of leaders since a great leader is not just about being able to produce a certain amount of money. It is also about being able to look at a room full of people and realising that you've helped many of them grow."
Keep an eye on the future
MS Dhoni packed his bags neatly from international cricket
That's the point based on which the expert draws a parallel between Trump and MS Dhoni. People have criticised the cricketer for not having called the curtains on his IPL career. But Chulani feels that the reason might be that Dhoni is looking to groom his team's next generation. "Dhoni is a champion not because he's won a lot of trophies, but because he is usually at the back in the team's victory photos," Chulani says, which is why he feels that the Chennai Super Kings captain might have a sense of purpose left in him to mould the outfit's future leaders. Trump doesn't have the same mindset and that's why — unlike Dhoni — he is still standing at the crease even after getting out, just because the bat is his.
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