Many political pundits underestimated Donald Trump, mistaking Trump’s lack of political experience for a lack of talent and skills. Even today, many critics fail to understand how 9 political leadership tactics have powered Trump‘s business and political career.
- Self-Promotion and Media Management: dominating the news cycle through “engagement”. Trump’s self-promotion skills were a key differentiator when the Republican Primary had 17 candidates. Had there only been 3 candidates in the primary it would have allowed other candidates to compete more on substance, drawing attention to his empty healthcare policy. With 17 candidates, the contest worked against those who were weaker at self-promotion.
- Salesmanship/Marketing of a certain type: Trump appears to become what you want him to be. Once he identifies his “mark’s” most core desires– what they are willing to sell their soul for– he could “shoot someone in the middle of 5th aveue and they will still support him”
- Looking out for #1: getting others to take the fall. Trump’s associates often try to protect him from the consequences of his actions. Inevitably, it is the associates who end up getting hurt (H.R. McMaster). When he borrows money, it is the lenders, contractors, and employees who suffer, while Trump maneuvers through bankruptcy.
- Avoiding Accountability: moving goal posts, and making excuses. If people attempt to try to hold Trump to account, even if it is a promise he made himself, such as releasing his big beautiful tax returns, he will move the goalposts, for instance, by suggesting that Hillary need to first release her emails. A later excuse was that he can’t release his tax returns because his was under audit, even though that is not true — Nixon release his when he was under audit. In actuality the audit threat was not a legal barrier he faced, but a fear that a new audit might be initiated were his tax returns to face the harsh disinfectant of sunlight.
- Attacking the Referees: Trump has seldom been accountable to anyone. Trump so frustrated his father, that Fred Sr sent him to military school. Ever since that experience of accountability, he has run his own business, reporting to no one. As president, the media represents a source of accountability that he can not abide. While in New York, Trump found he could manipulate the tabloids to his own purposes. He expected the national political press to work the same way, but has been dismayed to find that they can not all be co opted as easily as the New York Tabloids.
- Fighting Spirit: Always Attack and Double Down: He learned from Roy Cohn: Never admit you were wrong. Always go on offense and double down.
- Identifying and Insulting Weakness in Rivals
- Using Conflict for his own purposes
- Channeling Fear and Grievances, often on scapegoats