Can Donald Trump’s leadership style survive? 5 things to know

Renowned business man and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been under fire over the past month for his comments on topics such as immigration and most recently attacking Rep. Senator John McCain’s reputation as a “war hero” after he spent time in a Prisoner of War camp during the Vietnam conflict.

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Leading Republicans are criticizing those comments, and now big business leaders are speaking out about Mr. Trump’s leadership style in a Huffington Post article. The business leaders include former Medtronic CEO Bill George.

 

While one of Mr. Trump’s selling points is his experience and success as a business man, many CEOs now say his style is inconsistent with what makes today’s world run. Here are five things to know:

 

1. There has been a shift away from the “autocratic style” where one person leads from the top down as there is more mistrust in overly-confident leaders and the internet makes it easy to call out arrogance or wrong-doing. In a nutshell, the world is becoming more transparent.

 

2. The most highly-regarded CEOs today are about six times as likely as poorly-regarded CEOs to be considered “humble,” according to the report. However, that doesn’t mean these CEOs are shy; rather they’re thoughtful and introspective.

 

3. There is more emphasis on teamwork today than pitting one person against another through performance review structures. There are also more partnerships between companies that were once considered “bitter rivals.” Microsoft took that approach with new CEO Satya Nadella and the company’s stock is up 8 percent since he took the top post.

 

4. Leaders who have strong character run companies that perform better financially, according to the report. One example is Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook, who apologized for issues with the company’s mapping software — a contrast from the “non-apology” approach former CEO Steve Jobs used with previous iPhone glitches. Mr. Cook also speaks out in favor of issues such as gay rights and advocating for minorities.

 

5. The lowest-performing CEOs “see the world as a dangerous place where people will take advantage of you,” according to the report. These CEOs prize financial security over the company and their employees, and workers don’t trust them.

 

While Mr. George notes arrogant leaders aren’t completely extinct, there is a shift in leadership coincided with the recession, social media and the rise of women in leadership.

 

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