When a system conceives God as politic and Politic as God, it produces individuals like Donald Trump; someone deprives of any moral conviction and driven by the love of power, attention and recognition. I am and will never be a fan of a leader who I believe epitomizes everything that is wrong with America. However, I must admit that there is a leadership lesson that we can learn from his meeting with the North Korean’s president Kim Jong UN: the value of following our instincts even when everyone around us is advocating for an alternative option.
I am certain that the majority of career bureaucrats in the State department or the Intelligence Offices tried to dissuade him from this meeting. However, he had the courage to follow his instinct again; to do things his own way, even though it is unconventional or unpopular. We all can learn from his ability to proceed unconventionally and to act on his instinct. Most leaders are surrounded by a circle of advisors and their inner voice easily get lost in the noise that surrounded them. Thus, they gradually lose sight of their inner voice or who they are.
Without a doubt, the United States president publicly shaking hands with a brutal dictator who purged all of his opponents after becoming president give legitimacy and credence to his regime and actions. At the same time, we must also admit that the United States. Vs. North Korea mentality has only perpetuated a vicious cycle of mishandling, failed negotiations and left millions of North Koreans in destitute conditions. One thing is clear: the Trump presidency continues to be a consequential one.
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