| Over the years we’ve been encouraged to ‘go beyond’, to ‘break down barriers’ to ‘never take no for an answer’. On occasion, this is exceptional advice, otherwise how would new inventions be launched and/or new thinking emerge? HOWEVER – some norms and boundaries and laws are in place for a reason. Imagine what would happen if there were no road rules, picture the carnage. Some would want to drive on the wrong side of the road just for the sheer hell of it; some would delight in crashing the speed limit; others would simply drive cars with no insurance, tax or even road worthiness. So whether we like it or not, there ARE road rules and we are expected to abide by them or face the consequences. Leadership is no different. Leadership comes with massive power but it also comes with immense responsibility. The day I saw Donald Trump ride that escalator, the hairs on the back of my neck literally stood on end. Here was a 6 times bankrupt; a man known for refusing to pay contractors; who scoffed at safety laws and sued everyone and anyone who dared to challenge him. Like most of the sane world I laughed; I thought it was all just another Trump con to make money. And then he won the election. Since then I’ve written 3 books based on him and his utter disdain for rules, norms and laws. It gives me great pleasure to close his awful chapter by sharing 10 lessons per week from the first book I wrote about him. The 50 lessons are literally taken from his first 236 days in office. If you are a leader or if you are looking to promote someone into a leadership role – print these 10 lessons and post them on a wall somewhere where you and everyone around you can see them. Never forget the damage lousy leaders can cause. Lesson 1 – Be 100% aware of a person’s behaviour during the recruitment/selection/election process (when people show you who they are, believe them). Lesson 2 – Know when you have reached the top of your game. Lesson 3 – Be very careful whom you offend on the way up the corporate ladder; for surely you will meet them again on your way down. Lesson 4 – Be careful who you brand the enemy and resist playing tit-for-tat Lesson 5 – Don’t use Twitter as your chief communication tool Lesson 6 – As a leader you must be able to deal with the ‘tough’ questions Lesson 7 – Don’t make stuff up – ever, ever, ever Lesson 8 – If you said it, own it Lesson 9 – Saying something over and over and over again doesn’t make it true Lesson 10 – Some things are beyond ‘spin’ In these first few chapters, I also shared some very poignant quotes: ‘All tyranny requires to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent’ Thomas Jefferson ‘Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.’ André Malraux ‘Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.’ Mark Twain ‘The Donald is not a master of the deal; he is a reckless, foolhardy craps dealer playing with house money. He doesn’t care at all about the lives and fortunes of the human beings peopling this planet.’ Gizmo, 2016 ‘A delusion is something that people believe in despite a total lack of evidence.’ Richard Dawkins ‘Karma comes after everyone eventually. You can’t get away with screwing people over your whole life, I don’t care who you are. What goes around comes around. That’s how it works. Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve.’ Jessica Brody The biggest tragedy of the last four years is the damage he has done to those people who believe every word he says – his followers. Hopefully learnings will come from this nightmare for America. At the very least some ‘selection’ rules need to be instigated. Two very simple changes would ensure Donald Mark II never gets off the starting blocks:No tax returns, no campaign trailNo bankrupts need applyBecause we are now in count-down mode to him being removed, resigning or simply fading into oblivion (I live in hope), I would like to get the first book I wrote about him off my shelves. Lessons in Leadership. 50 ways to avoid falling into the ‘Trump’ trap. This book is literally a piece of history – albeit an incredibly sad piece of history. Testimonial: ‘I first came across Ann over 25 years ago when I needed someone to run a workshop with a group of pharmacy owners who thought they knew everything they needed to know about change management and leadership. Some hours later, and after some subtle poking in the chest by Ann, they found out they didn’t! I was fortunate to connect with her again recently when we were both guest speaking at a business seminar; and nothing has changed. She is a thought provoker, provocative and passionate about business and how leadership is a defining component when it comes to being successful, or not, and her latest book Lessons in Leadership: How to avoid falling into the Trump trap is absolutely a book for our times.’ Paul Gianotti Executive General Manager – Warehouse Stationery |
| Ann Andrews CSP Speaker, author, profiler, Life Member NSANZ |
| Ann is the author of:Lessons in leadership: 50 ways to avoid falling into the ‘Trump’ trapLeaders Behaving Badly: What happens when ordinary people show up, stand up and speak upMy Dear FranchiseesNOW AVAILABLE: Women Behaving Courageously: How gutsy women, young and old, are transforming the world |