American President Donald Trump is an enigma. No one can quite figure him out.
People either love him or hate him, but they have never been able to ignore him. All those that dismissed and demeaned him, have fallen by the wayside.
With Trump what you see is what you get.
An electorate tired of non performing politicians who double talk, are hypocritical, wimpy, divisive and too politically correct, has not surprisingly swung to the other extreme.
Crude as he may behave, the majority of American voters like that blunt honesty in Trump
Trump had been planning to serve as President of America since he was a young man and has been preparing himself accordingly, learning as much as possible. He has a vision to make America great again. His strategy appears unconventionally insane and his tactics even more.
If one carefully analyses his approach there is actually a manner in the madness.
Willingly or unwillingly, in Trump, the American people have put their trust
Unlike most political leaders who make politics their profession, Trump has earned his billionaire status by hard work and cunning. Having financed his own campaign he is not beholden to any lobby and power group.
Though some may disagree, Trump is a business success. He is confident to a point of Megalomania and naturally is his own boss. To deploy his vision he is dependent on the administration but never lets any individual or group obstruct him.
This makes Trump unconventional, undiplomatic and unpredictable. Trump frightens everyone. So politicians, advisors, Wall street, staff, media, civil society, Congressmen etc. all want to tame him and his energy. Never before has an American President ever had such support and simultaneously so many interest groups opposing him, but Trump remains unfazed.
Trump is a President in a hurry to get things promised and refuses to have his message and his initiatives derailed. He therefore has little patience with anyone who gets in the way. Its always his way or the highway, with frequent staff changes and startling initiatives.
Trump has been effective in shaking things up. He has overseen an economic rebound and secured for America beneficial trade deals with Mexico, Canada, European Union, Japan, and Korea. His initiatives on wide range of areas covering illegal immigration, terrorism etc. earn him brickbats and praise.
Regarding Trump one question that inevitably comes to mind is, 'Why does Trump use Twitter as his main channel of communication?', even for the most sensitive of matters and relationships.
A visitor to the court of Russian Tzar Nicholas I, (1796 - 1855) was praising the Tzar and his power.
Upon which the Tzar retorted, "I do not rule Russia; 10,000 clerks do."
American federal government has tens of millions of employees spread over tens of thousands of agencies and departments.
Government has become ungovernable. Accountability is poor, policy formulation and deployment takes forever.
Trump knows that to succeed, he has to win public support on many issues and for that good communication is critical.
Trump has inherited from two big communication problems.
A bureaucracy that marches to the drum beats, of its own choosing. They change the tone, strength, bluntness and even kill policy they do not like.
A powerful media extremely hostile to Trump. They suppress his achievements, exaggerate his weaknesses and mistakes. They constantly smear him, trying to drive him and his supporters away.
Both these communication channels have tried to choke Trump's ability to communicate with the outside world at his desired pace and to get things done.
In all democracies only that narrative is carried and only that happens, which the media and the top bureaucrats, working hand in glove with the elites, want.
Trump has changed all that. He is unwilling to trust the newspapers and television media to give him fair coverage.
It appears. Trump has a vocabulary of about 3000 words, but its enough to communicate directly to the world. He uses Twitter like the 'Donald Trump Broadcasting Station'. He communicates with the world directly. Sure he makes many faux pas but he never lets a setback deter him.
Whether this is this the right approach is debatable? That its an effective communication approach is beyond doubt.
This communication strategy is not suitable for everyone and in every situation. If one is not one's own boss and if one lacks a clear vision and approach then one should not adopt this direct contact approach.
Take the case of Imran Khan who came to be anointed as the Prime Minister of Pakistan through an election rigged by the Pakistan army. He is their puppet with no real authority.
Khan's handsome looks, stylish manner and good English but devoid of political capacity, he makes a good poster Prime Minister.
In Pakistan the media is completely controlled by the army. All news is regulated and censored by the army.
The press has been instructed to give Imran Khan full support and to cast him in favourable light. Hence he has no need to bypass the media.
The bureaucracy of course is untameable and anyway Imran Khan has nothing valuable to tell his country men, except function as the mouthpiece of the army, thump his chest and offer palliatives to the public.
Imran Khan probably possessed by the notion that like Donald Trump if he also tweets then he too will also be considered a leader of power and status.
So Imran the cheerleader of Pakistan, tweets frequently. Unfortunately most of the content is nonsense, fictional and contradictory, thus Imran Khan makes a complete fool of himself and his country.
Also take the case of Rahul Gandhi, until recently, the reluctant President of the Indian National Congress Party.
Rahul Gandhi is a pleasant, handsome, middle aged, over indulged dynast. He has no realisation of his total lack of leadership skills and political ability.
He is earnest, but unfortunately his appointment to the top position, without any real life exposure to public service or political responsibility, has doomed him. Its now impossible to develop him as an effective politician and leader of any consequence.
He has no vision for the country or his party except an overpowering sense of personal and family entitlement.
He is unable to learn any lessons, from leading his party from defeat to defeat, because he too is dependent on others for all thoughts and actions. This however has not stopped him from shooting his mouth off.
He too merrily tweets away, constantly undermining himself, his party and his country.
From my book and Seminar on 'Effective Communication & Conversation'
We are all trying to sell something. An idea, a product, an emotion, an instruction. Whatever it may be, it involves communication and conversation.
To facilitate development of these vital skills, Guru Wonder conducts a one and two day program on 'Effective Communication & Conversation' for leaders.
Contact :
Telephone: +91 957 951 0353
Email: Guru Wonder
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