Leadership lessons: ‘Look back in anger’ or ‘look forward in hope’

Jan 2, 2025
Donald Trump and USA flag

Students of leadership might shake their heads in disbelief at the recent re-elevation of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States of America. What comes to mind, is a play written in 1956 by John Osborne, called ‘Look Back in Anger’ giving rise to the phrase ‘angry young men’.

This is ostensibly a play about a fractured marital relationship between a disaffected young man of working-class origins and his unhappy upper-middle class wife. However, it could well be a social commentary about what has just happened politically in the USA – once again, disgruntled white men have spoken. In a culture that is fiercely masculine, and nervous about foreigners, the result is not surprising. They see in Donald J. Trump a strong leader who ignores opposition and stands up to those who disagree with him.

The result shows that ‘might is right’ and that decency and character do not seem to matter anymore. Trump’s promises of ‘helping our country heal’ and ‘fixing our country’ will prove to be empty.

Instead, this promises to be a presidency that will be full of self-interest and retribution – it is not focussed on the future or on uniting the country. He will not be ‘fighting for you’ or delivering a ‘strong and prosperous golden age of America.’ It is not a ‘magnificent victory for the American people,’ America’s allies, or the world.

The contrast is clear – chaos versus character; disruption versus decency; self-interest versus service; insults versus respect; lies versus honesty; and disunity versus unity.

It is evidence that pseudo-transformational leaders get endorsed. Transformational leadership is about energising others to come with you to a better future – they challenge the process; inspire a shared vision; model the way, enable others to act and encourage the heart.

False leaders are not leaders who energise and engage others or work towards a better, shared future, but leaders who offer false hope for a future that they will not serve. False leaders serve themselves first and foremost. Trump’s leadership is about ‘me’ not ‘you’.

There will be many reflections on what we can learn from this USA result, why the Republicans won with him, who Trump is, and what he stands for – apart from himself. Ironically, he plays the victim very well, as a ploy to connect with others. He is testimony that hubris not humility will win out in the end.

Hope has been regarded as one of the elements of good leadership as well as humanity humility, compassion, and vision.

Let’s see what happens to hope, humanity, humility, compassion, vision under Trump.

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