Zach Weigel
Some time ago, my mother gave me a little book titled Wit and Wisdom of the American Presidents. Although it’s a rather quick read at just 70 pages, it had been sitting untouched on my nightstand for quite some time until I recently decided to pick it up. Most notably, the book contains pithy quotes that reveal both the character and ideological viewpoints of our previous presidents, along with a clear mark of disdain for the presidency because of the enormous amount of stress associated with the job. Perhaps LBJ summed it up best: “Being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There’s nothing to do but stand there and take it.”
Nevertheless, in a contemporary context, I found one other element of presidential wisdom particularly salient. From George Washington to Barack Obama, all our presidents have appraised leadership both generally as commander in chief and colloquially as leader of the free world.
For many, leading the nation meant setting politics and concerns about their popularity aside in order to do what they thought was best for the nation. Some, such as Lincoln, even sacrificed their life to lead the nation. Others, such as Nixon, failed to act as the leader of our country, instead concerning themselves with their own well-being and the well-being of their party. Thus, this short little book made me wonder: What can past presidents’ commentary on leadership teach us about the prospects of our current president?
Could quotes from previous presidents illuminate aspects of potential glory in President Trump? Or, does the wit and wisdom of prior leaders paint a more dubious picture for Trump? Sadly, our past presidents suggest that Trump is setting himself up for failure because he lacks leadership.
Leading anything is hard, let alone a country. There are always critics trying to vilify you. And while it’s no secret that Trump has his fair share of critics, both conventional wisdom and presidential wit indicate that how one responds to criticism ultimately determines success.
Therefore, one can easily see where Trump may lack leadership. Clearly he has demonstrated an inability to handle criticism, an inability to constructively take criticism. He repeatedly refutes facts and uses outlandish rhetoric in attempts to silence his most ardent critics (the media). He has even gone as far as suspiciously firing FBI Director James Comey because he refused to drop an investigation into Trump’s administration.
By calling everything that he doesn’t agree with “fake news,” Trump isn’t leading. He’s
showing his inability to lead and fueling the media “witch-hunt” against him.
Many of the successful presidents from the past knew that leadership requires one to set ego aside and “let the haters hate,” so to speak. Unfortunately, Trump does not do this. Instead, he lashes out at critics, only fanning the flames of fire against him. If he doesn’t learn how to effectively handle criticism, he may eventually be burned at the metaphorical stake.
Armchair psychology will tell you that Trump’s behavior is textbook narcissism. He’s excessively concerned with his ego and attempts to counter even the smallest slight against him or his administration. But successful leaders don’t care about their egos. As FDR said, “Leaders don’t look over their shoulders”; they don’t pay attention to their reputation. Leaders don’t spin every story to boost their ego. Leaders don’t care if a move is good politics for their party or good publicity for themselves. Leaders aren’t concerned with demeaning their critics because they’re too busy leading their followers and trying to figure out how to win over their critics.
Our past presidents learned that you need thick skin to be great leader. Hopefully, Trump learns this as well, because the orange-tinged skin he currently has indicates that he’s destined to be an unsuccessful leader.
