What we’re thinking
“He’s got to listen…”
Today is the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Time to fasten our seat belts…
Hopefully the view of President Obama in the rear view mirror will remain clear for a long time. But the road ahead is far from clear. I’ve followed the election campaign with interest, and at times astonishment, at the levels of leadership and quality of communication on display. And one thing I’m pretty sure about is that whatever the rhetoric we don’t really know what a Trump presidency has in store for us – whether in USA, here in UK, or anywhere else. Lots of talk but over the coming weeks we’ll see which words turn into actions. So, this morning’s BBC Radio 4 interview with former UK ambassador to the US, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, made for interesting listening. He prioritised for Trump the challenge of leadership communication, emphasising the need to communicate consistently and reliably to a wide range of people – far beyond his supporters. “He’s got to listen,” emphasised Sheinwald, “he’s got a cabinet he doesn’t know very well. He’s barely spoken to most of them.” A key factor for Trump as a political leader will be the extent to which he will listen to people and to views that are different to his own as he figures out his strategy and seeks to make things, ‘great.’ Or will he revert to ‘tell’ before exploring possibilities, opportunities and different perspectives.
Inside organisations, as well as in politics, listening to different views, encouraging challenge and exploring different perspectives makes good sense. And isn’t always easy to do. So, let’s see how Trump tackles this leadership communication challenge over the coming months.
And meanwhile, this challenge for Trump is a good challenge for us all:
Am I getting questions and challenges from people around me?
Am I encouraging those questions in the way I listen, explore and respond?
Do people around me feel able to challenge and offer an alternative view?
I’ve a feeling that this Trump presidency is going to be fascinating watching for any of us interested in the challenge of leadership communication. I’m watching with eyes wide, ears open and seat belt on!
Andrew Bidnell is a professional certified coach and an experienced consultant who founded InsideOut Consulting in 2006. The focus is on leadership and communication and, in particular, the challenge of engagement – of self and of others – to achieve maximum impact and fulfillment. He has worked internationally with 1,000+ leaders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, always seeking to facilitate, challenge, support and unlock potential that lies inside an individual, a community, an organisation, and bring that strength, passion and knowledge out for maximum impact.