Editor’s Note: Variants of this article appeared in the author’s hometown newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, and elsewhere. – GDM
Tragically, Donald Trump is incapable of providing good leadership for our Armed Forces and has proven it time and again. I have published, spoken, and taught leadership principles for over four decades. Here is why I am certain of my opinion. There are two primary components of good leadership: competence and caring. Tragically, America’s once and again chief executive is a clear failure on both counts. His handling of the COVID pandemic during his first administration provides illumination.
Many have heard it before, but it bears repeating often. This president is an obvious narcissist. Narcissists lack empathy. Empathy is the key character trait of all good leaders. Despite an endless string of excuses from his loyal MAGA supporters concerning a plethora of Trump’s obvious shortcomings, quality leadership really does matter. Soldiers know this fact better than most. Good leaders inspire us to become the best version of ourselves. A truly empathic leader would have mobilized the nation quickly to meet the threat posed by COVID-19 because s/he would have had a care for the lives of citizens. Unfortunately, the former reality TV star simply lacks this all-too-human impulse.
What about competence? History’s judgment will be harsh. This Commander-in-Chief may be the least competent person ever to sit behind the Resolute Desk. Examples of his dithering regarding COVID-19 are multiple and flagrant. Other than his early decision to halt travel from China, every other call of his was wrong. Leaving state governors to individually deal with the crisis as they saw fit was a monstrously bad decision. Every infectious disease expert agreed: the virus required national, if not global, solutions. In addition, his decision to halt funding for the World Health Organization in the middle of a global pandemic was both reckless as well as heartless and decried by every member of the G-7. His manifold failures can be tallied in hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the pandemic.
Although a reasonable level of intelligence is fundamental, good leadership is about accepting responsibility and possessing the character to bear burdens for others. This White House occupant renounces responsibility like the mongoose recoils from the cobra’s strike. His straight-from-the-hip and go-to position is to blame others. He plays the role of victim with undisguised relish, and his political base continues to buy it. COVID-19 exploited all avenues to spread. The first Trump Administration provided those opportunities, and through inaction. Media reports at that time confirmed that the Central Intelligence Agency and Centers for Disease Control informed him of the developing threat of COVID-19. He chose to ignore their professional assessments. These two government agencies traffic in facts and analysis. Although occasional errors may occur, they consistently strive to uncover fundamental truths grounded in factual evidence.
Moreover, Mr. Trump cares nothing for the US Constitution, which he swore to uphold. The evidence is manifold. He usurped Congress’s authority by implementing massive tariffs on allies and enemies alike. His “Big, Beautiful Bill” gutted much-needed social welfare programs. He selected incompetents for his cabinet, while implementing illegal “loyalty tests” for appointees. He violated the Posse Comitatus Act when he deployed active duty and National Guard soldiers to police cities. And, most recently, he used our military to kill eleven persons occupying a small craft in international waters, claiming without proof that they were Venezuelan narco-gang members. His health secretary’s gutting of the Centers for Disease Control is also telling, suggesting that in the event of another pandemic, many more will die. The list goes on and is too lengthy to cover all here in this small space.
So, it is not just that Mr. Trump is a bad leader, but rather he is incapable of being a good leader for our military, and by extension, the nation. It is a well-established truth; competent and caring leaders earn their people’s respect and loyalty. The case against this Oval Office is self-evident for those willing to see. I have studied leadership throughout my adult life, learning much from exceptional senior sergeants and officers. I know this subject through academics as well, but more importantly, a half-century of deep professional experience. Our current Command-in-Chief is not equal to the challenge. Regrettably, he lacks both required components of good leadership: competence and caring.
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*** Editor’s Note: If you liked this article, you’d definitely want to check out Bob’s latest book: Surviving the United Nations – A True Story of Violence, Corruption, Betrayal, and Redemption.
It’s an eye-opening account of a Green Beret’s second career at the United Nations.
And don’t just take my word for it, here is what Publishers Weekly had to say:
“In his humanitarian and peacekeeping missions for the United Nations he dealt with child soldiers, blood diamonds, a double hostage-taking, an invasion by brutal guerrillas, an emergency aerial evacuation, a desperate hostage recovery mission, tribal gunfights, refugee camp violence, suicide bombings, and institutional corruption. His UN career brought him face to face with the best and worst of human nature, and he shares it all here.”
Click the link above to pick up your copy from Amazon today. You’ll find it every bit as riveting as the author himself. – GDM