Teamwork
Only 1,359 days to go...
“The genius at the top doesn’t make the team look good. A good team makes the person at the top look like a genius.” ~ Simon Sinek
At one stage of my professional life, I was certified to teach Covey Leadership classes internally within our company. I’ve mentioned some of the models and ideas from his writings in an earlier post (Moving in the right circles).
I like Stephen Covey’s work quite a bit. He has a few quotes worth sharing:
Strength lies in differences, not in similarities
Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their greatest success.
Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.
When Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, he appointed three men who had competed with him for the Republican presidential nomination to his cabinet: New York Sen. William H. Seward, Ohio Gov. Salmon P. Chase, and Missouri's distinguished elder statesman Edward Bates. You can listen more as Doris Kearns Goodwin discusses the way in which Lincoln led.
“What he essentially did is what a great politician does, which is to understand that human relationships are at the core of political success. And he somehow managed these people, who as I say, oftentimes hated one another, wouldn't even go into the same room with each other after a while…It's almost unimaginable that he was able to keep this group together. But the success in keeping it together meant they also represented very different spectrums of political opinion from very conservative to moderate, to radical. And as long as he could keep that coalition together by keeping these people inside the tent, he was actually keeping those strands in the country together as well.”
“Everyone has values; even criminal gangs have values. Values govern people's behavior but principles govern the consequences of those behaviors.”
I’ve been on teams where the members didn’t like each other very much and maybe had their own agenda. A team may have different values, but they need a strategic direction, which is what the leader provides. The leader holds the team together by setting the goal and the strategy. When everyone is rowing in the same direction, they don’t have to like each other.
I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of different leaders and managers. I’ve had leaders who let the team lead, which led to chaos and disfunction. But I’ve also had leaders who led the team which meant we accomplished our strategic goal. Every leader has their own style - but setting the strategic direction and keeping everyone focused on it is key.
A good leader has two important tasks: picking competent, capable team members and setting the strategic direction. If the leader rewards and measures the team on their capability to implement the strategic direction and encourages synergy amongst differing perspectives… he’s doing his job.
I believe Lincoln’s strategic goal was to hold the Union together. He understood that there were many different agendas and attitudes among his coalition, but he focused on holding everyone together by having them focus on this strategic goal. It must have been incredibly difficult and it’s no wonder that historians consistently rank him our greatest president.
Which leads me to our current president.
Not surprisingly, Trump ranked as worst US president in history.
Donald Trump finished 45th and rock bottom of a list ranking US presidents by greatness, trailing even “historically calamitous chief executives” who failed to stop the civil war or botched its aftermath… Trump is a uniquely divisive figure, his legislative record slim, his refusal to accept defeat by Biden leading to a deadly attack on Congress, and his post-presidential career dogged by 91 criminal charges arising from actions in office or on the campaign trail.
Since #FOTUS doesn’t understand the meaning of strategy, manages transactionally or situationally, and his goal is simply taking other people’s money and self-aggrandizement, it’s pretty clear he doesn’t believe in or even understand teamwork. Just read some of the current headlines:
Trump allies turn on one another as controversies accumulate (Associated Press)
Inside the staff 'civil war' under Pete Hegseth with 'vicious' backstabbing aides as he shakes up Pentagon (Daily Mail) and The vicious rivalries tearing apart Pete Hegseth's Pentagon (Politico)
Scoop: Musk vs. Bessent dispute erupted into West Wing shouting match (Axios)
Trump's trade team rocked by shake-up amid tariff turmoil; Bessent rises (Business Standard)
Elon Unloads on Trump’s Top Trade Adviser: ‘Truly a Moron’ (Rolling Stone)
A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted recently revealed that 66% of voters describe Trump's second term as "chaotic," with 59% labeling it "scary." Even among Republicans, 47% agree with the "chaotic" description. The administration's handling of issues like immigration, foreign conflicts, and economic policies have contributed to these perceptions.
Clearly there are folks within the administration who want to implement the Project 2025 agenda (Russ Vought, Stephen Miller, Karoline Leavitt, Tom Homan, etc.). They have their agenda, so as long as they flatter Trump - they can accomplish what they want.
Then there are folks within the administration who want to promote Christian Nationalism (Pete Hegseth, Russ Vought, Paula White, Jennifer Korn) with many of the folks overlapping with Project 2025.
“Part of what we’re also seeing is the favoring not of Christians per se, but of a certain kind of Christianity. Trump and his people are aiming not to just work with the movement, but to shape the movement itself, to make it more faux-populist, demagogic and frankly authoritarian.” Trump has put Christian nationalists in key roles – say a prayer for free speech
Then there are people in the administration who, like Trump, are concerned with wealth preservation and deregulation (Elon Musk, again Russ Vought) Inside Trump’s Plan to Halt Hundreds of Regulations
There are the America First people like Peter Navarro, who do not believe in free trade versus those with a more nuanced approach like Scott Bessant. Scott Bessent offers a gentler message, saying ‘America First’ does not mean ‘America alone’
And then we have the folks that clearly want to align with authoritarians rather than traditional democratic allies (Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Paul Manafort, JD Vance and of Donald Trump himself.)
We have anti-immigrant contingent as well (Tom Homan, Kash Patel, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi).
There are those who want to dismantle all the initiatives to combat climate change. Cynically, I can’t help but believe their intention is to open up lands for drilling and/or development and possibly even privatization.
Everyone has their own agenda and there is no one in charge. Clearly the team is leading and not the other way around. They have mastered the art of manipulating Trump with various techniques:
Behind the Curtain: The art of persuading Trump
President Trump's improvisational and unpredictable leadership style has forced Cabinet officials, advisers and friends to develop a playbook to scuttle ideas they consider dumb, dangerous or undoable…White House aides, Trump's Cabinet and top CEOs often resort to indirect tricks and techniques to sway "the boss."
Trump selected his team based on one thing — and one thing only: Would they be loyal to him? If not, he’ll dump them.
Look at his support for Pete Hegseth. (Although Sources close to the White House say the president is growing more frustrated with his defense secretary’s bad press.) The man is clearly out of his element and doesn’t know what he’s doing. If this were any other president, Hegseth’s name never would have been presented to the Senate; if we had any other Senate, he never would have been confirmed. Other presidents would have fired Hegseth after the first Signalgate event. But Hegseth is loyal and keeps on flattering Trump…
Other than promoting the Trump name and brand, there really is no overarching goal or strategic objective for this administration. As a result, we see chaos and a huge mess coming out of this White House. Everyone is managing upward by flattering Trump and then doing what they want. Thus no teamwork.
“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.” ~Kamala Harris
So 100 days into this GOP-led government, citizens are being denied the basic services of government; hundreds of thousands of workers are unemployed; non-citizens are being sent to foreign Gulags; allies are being betrayed; judges are being threatened and even arrested; history is being whitewashed or erased; corporate leaders, media conglomerates and lawyers are being extorted (and acquiescing); the economy is being tanked by trade wars; a measles outbreak is spreading; farmers and small businesses are being destroyed; authoritarians are being flattered; loyalist thugs and criminals are being pardoned; our premier scientists and entrepreneurs are being recruited to work in other countries; Congress is proposing an outrageously irresponsible budget; Senators are scared of being primaried; our tax dollars are going into Trump’s pocketbook; and the lobbyists are making a killing.
So as Simon says, “The genius at the top doesn’t make the team look good. A good team makes the person at the top look like a genius.”
Clearly this team makes Trump look like the malevolent incompetent that he is.
Thought for the day in honor of his birthday…
“Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things in life.”
~ James F. Byrnes
Must Read Articles:
Hegseth is only one member of the second Trump administration to have been plucked from the pantheon of electoral duds and given a second lease on political life. From the Cabinet all the way to high-profile White House aides, there are failed candidates for major office who might have otherwise toiled for years in obscurity or, even worse, local politics if not for Trump’s magnanimity. Contrary to the president’s boasted affection for winners, it’s loyalty to Trump, sometimes even in the face of defeat, that remains the most valuable characteristic for a Republican looking to get ahead these days. Even the losers….What unites many of these in the 2022 crowd is how closely they hewed to the pro-Trump line on the question of whether the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Trump’s subordinates understand that the president is “an image guy” who looks to surround himself with people who appear to be out of “central casting.” But, he said, looking the part on TV also serves a useful purpose for Trump—it “distracts the voters from: Is stuff actually going well behind the scenes?”
“It’s like hiring the guy who plays a doctor on Grey’s Anatomy. You don’t actually want that guy to do your heart surgery. He’s an actor. You hire the people who sound competent because they use the polysyllabic words. But can they actually do the job?”
Quote of the day:
“As we watch our economy spiral, and our enemies rejoice, the time has come to recognize that the people Donald Trump has chosen to carry out some of the most important jobs of his administration have no clue what they’re doing…
Once upon a time, Trump told us that he would hire only the best people. He has not. Some of us have blamed the malign influence of Don Jr. and Tucker Carlson. Yep. Others have blamed the Oval Office's open-door policy that allows the likes of Laura Loomer to slither in. Also true. But at the end of the day, they all work for the President, and too many are just disastrously bad at their jobs.”
~ Danielle Pletka, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (conservative thinktank)
What I’m reading today…
Trump’s Biggest Beneficiary: Himself
No presidential administration is completely free from questionable ethics practices, but Donald Trump has pushed us to a new low. He has accomplished that by breaking every norm of good government, often while enriching himself, whether by pardoning a felon who, together with his wife, donated $1.8 million to the Trump campaign; promoting Teslas on the White House driveway; or holding a private dinner for speculators who purchase his new cryptocurrency.
Mr. Trump’s blatant transgressions have swamped those of any modern president and even those of his first term. Remember the outrage when he refused to divest his financial holdings or when he used a Washington hotel he owned as a kind of White House waiting room? Those moves seem quaint in comparison.
America Is Learning the Wrong Lesson from Elon Musk’s Success
His team has done much of its work in secrecy, with little accountability and few dissenters around him to challenge his ideas — let alone rivals from the opposing party like the ones Lincoln assembled in his cabinet to promote diversity of thought and earn the public’s trust. Mr. Musk has made too many mistakes, from unwittingly eliminating Ebola prevention programs to firing employees doing critical work on nuclear weapons and scientists working to prevent a bird flu pandemic. And it’s hard to see how firing the folks who collect revenue is a good strategy for taming the budget or how eliminating oversight could help fight budgetary waste. But if his goal is to discredit government and demoralize workers, then his strategy may be working.
Companies are cutting more managers, leaving employees directionless
The corporate world is getting flatter, as more companies look to get rid of managers. Why it matters: The trend is accelerating as firms look for ways hold down costs in the wake of Trump tariffs. “It's kind of like a rowing team, if everyone is rowing their hardest, but going in different directions, that's not useful. The manager is supposed to all get them moving the same way.”
National security adviser Mike Waltz is expected to be ousted from his White House role, marking the first major departure in Donald Trump's inner circle this term, according to several reports….
Waltz's hawkish views on foreign policy have reportedly been too traditional to fit in with the MAGA crew, and the adviser was already on thin ice with the president after making headlines in March for an embarrassing group chat mishap.
I am not sure what it will take to end the chaos. Of course, removing Trump-Vance and Musk from power would be a good start. But how? At this time, impeachment is not an option, because it would be the third impeachment without teeth. Unless and until Republicans in the Senate commit to convicting Trump-Vance et al, well in advance of a House vote, we should not go there. Impeachment without teeth empowers Trump-Vance and Musk.
Trump’s trip to hallowed political ground
They are Trump Republicans. So formidable are his coattails that in 2016, the county elected as its clerk Karen Spranger, a Republican nominee who was possibly homeless and almost definitely jobless — the Detroit Free Press was unable to find any evidence that the 65-year-old “had held a regular job since graduating high school.” Her primary political experience came as a gadfly who showed up for the public comment section at local meetings, where she sometimes wore a foil tracksuit and complained about radiation from utility meters. (She was forced from office in 2018 after an investigation revealed that she lacked residency in the county and was thus ineligible for the position.)
Trump's team war-gaming for an impeachment fight
As the only twice-impeached president, Trump and his team are keenly aware of how much the process can weigh on the White House and grind a president's agenda to a halt. Democrats don't control the House now, but they're already signaling that they're eager to drag Trump through another impeachment.
In a warning shot Monday, Michigan Rep. Shri Thanedar introduced seven long-shot articles of impeachment against Trump for how he's dealt with immigration, humanitarian aid and judicial rulings.
#WTH Does Donald Trump have a plan?
I want to reiterate the most basic question: Does Donald Trump know what he’s doing? Is he using a sledgehammer to upend the global trading system in a way that will result in manufacturing and jobs returning to America? In us beating China? Or is he using the wrong tools to achieve basic trading concessions? I have no idea; does he?… Maybe the president doesn't know what he's doing. Perhaps all this flailing around, the drama, the insults, the firings, and the relentless capriciousness aren't part of a strategy. Maybe they’re just signs that Donald Trump doesn't actually know what he's doing.
‘Vaguely Threatening’: Federal Prosecutor Queries Leading Medical Journal
A federal prosecutor in Washington has contacted The New England Journal of Medicine, considered the world’s most prestigious medical journal, with questions that suggested without evidence that it was biased against certain views and influenced by external pressures...At least three other journals have received similar letters from Edward Martin Jr., a Republican activist serving as interim U.S. attorney in Washington. Mr. Martin has been criticized for using his office to target opponents of the administration.
Ice Barbie’s Staff Tell U.S. Citizens to Self-Deport or Else
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent notices to legal United States citizens ordering them to leave the country.
Capital Burger, $3,000 in Cash and a D.H.S. Badge: A Washington Mystery
The Capital Burger caper made for capital farce — the top official charged with patrolling the nation’s borders and protecting it from terrorist threats, burgled in plain view of her security detail. That it happened to Ms. Noem, of all cabinet officials, only added to the drama.
Pete Hegseth’s Personal Signal Chat Phone Number Is All Over the Internet
The embattled defense secretary’s phone number could be found in such diverse places as WhatsApp, Facebook, Airbnb, a fantasy sports site and reviews left for a plumber and a dentist
Inside Elon Musk’s Grievance-Fueled MAGA-morphosis
It would cement Musk’s metamorphosis from political opportunist to full-fledged supporter of the Republican Party, even if he’d go on to weaponize perceived personal slights to justify far more radical behavior in the political arena.
FBI’s Kash Patel Crows About Dramatic Arrest of State Judge
Patel quickly deleted his post about Dugan’s arrest, but it is not clear why.
The Trump Organization, run by President’s son Eric Trump, yesterday announced it would fire William Burck, the co-managing partner of Quinn Emanuel law firm hired in January to help the company manage conflicts of interest after Trump took office. Trump this week indirectly criticized Burck for his representation of Harvard University in its lawsuit against the administration.
Real Teamwork: Hundreds line up to help local bookstore move down the street
A book I highly recommend…
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity--principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.
What I am listening to…
What I read every day…
