Donald Trump’s brash leadership style is failing him

During his campaign, Trump tapped into the concerns of disfranchised Americans. His arrogance and disrespect for the status quo appealed to many and became his rallying cry.
But as he has transitioned from campaigning to governing, this style has cost him. A recent Gallup Poll showed that only 37 per cent of Americans approve of his performance since he took office, while 58 per cent disapprove.
If Trump wishes to succeed, he needs to build trust and unify people, not alienate those who disagree with him. 
Enlightened leaders know the importance of humility and respect. Instead of using a know-it-all style, they focus on winning the hearts and minds of people. For example, they listen and empathise. They are open to diverse ideas. They admit their mistakes. Such behaviour nurtures a culture of trust, loyalty and inclusion. 
So why adopt humility and respect now?
First, changes in the marketplace are rampant. One leader cannot know everything. For example, as market trends shift, the first employees to see these changes might be salespeople, who talk with customers every day. Leaders who do not listen to them may miss important cues.
Second, capable employees, especially millennials, expect respect. They want involvement and fulfilment in their jobs. They want to voice their opinions and feel they are making a difference. Brushing them off if they disagree is a sure-fire way of losing good people.
Finally, social media are making it easier to expose tyrannical bosses and call them out for their bad behaviour. No longer can leaders hide behind the veneer of public relations. A leader’s reputation is subject to the scrutiny of social media and out in the open for everyone to see.
But do bosses who demonstrate humility and respect produce better financial results? According to KRW International, a leadership consultancy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the answer is a resounding yes. 
In a study over a three-year period, KRW measured the effect of a chief executive’s character on performance. What they discovered was that CEOs who received positive feedback from employees on character traits such as integrity, responsibility, humility and compassion had an average return on assets of 9.35 per cent over a two-year period. This compared with a return of only 1.93 per cent for CEOs who scored low on character. 
One might conclude from this study that bosses who distorted the truth for personal gain, did not follow through on their promises, and cared about their accomplishments at the expense of others were less successful than those who did not.
It is still early days for President Donald Trump, but there are many worrying signs that he will not succeed using his current arrogant leadership style. Thus far, he has failed to achieve a major legislative victory, most recently the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) and institutionalise a new healthcare plan.

LARRY CHAO is founder and managing director of Chao Group, a strategic organisation-change consultancy based in New York and Bangkok since 1995 www.chaogroup.com).