Be it positively or with disdain, people react when Donal Trump speaks.
Many leadership scholars and practitioners today suggest that communication is the essence of leadership. Without it you cannot create an effective vision, motivate people, participate in decision-making processes, or promote change.
Communication, we could say, is the sine qua non for all leadership behavior across almost all leadership contexts. You can’t run a business without it. The ability to communicate well seems to trump all other qualities, traits, and behaviors.
Speaking of trumping, what about the communication style of Donald Trump, a person much in the news of late for the way he communicates? And how does his communication style stack up against what we teach our students at CIBU?
Some say Trump’s communication is highly effective. It is spontaneous, blatantly honest, unabashedly fearless, full of passion and energy, replete with concrete stories that ground his messages in real events and real people, and often characterized by a desire to steer clear of canned, prepared responses. It all seems positive enough and worthy of our attention, right?
Others, however, would argue that Trump’s communication is characterized by arrogance, narcissism, defamatory or derogatory comments on people or groups of people. It represents a ‘know-it-all’ attitude, an ‘in-your-face’ perspective, and an inability to listen to others and, thus, a constantly interrupting those who are speaking.
Even more egregious, some say, is his inability to ever offer an apology when others have been deeply offended by his remarks. In short, there may be some serious ethical shortcomings in his communication.
At CIBU we emphasize communication that is highly effective but also highly ethical.
Students in the BS program, for example, are required to take “US Business Law,” a course that explores the role of ethics in business in the US but also in international contexts too.
Students in the MBA and MSIM programs are required to take “Business Ethics,” a course that emphasizes “the laws, ethics, and values of the global business world” and includes debates on different ethical positions and a consideration of personal morality within different national and international contexts –each of which may have unique ethical perspectives. Moreover, our leadership courses treat ethics as central to both leadership and management.
CIBU intends to promote honest, passionate, fearless communication wherein students can express themselves freely and openly.
At the same time, however, we believe that the most effective communication is always steeped in ethical considerations – sincere respect for the rights and dignity of all people, a strong commitment to listening to all voices, and a sense of humility that goes hand-in-hand with tolerance, open-mindedness, and, on the world stage, a desire to promote meaningful relations in business, and world peace in politics.
There is nothing trumped up about the communication we promote. We seek authentic interaction informed by an acute sensitivity to the best interests of those with whom we communicate.
That, we suggest, is how leadership can triumph rather than merely trump.
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