Leadership in Times of Trump and Harris: A Call for Integrated Leadership
As leaders navigate today’s complex environment, understanding Donald Trump’s persona and its rise to influence provides valuable insights into both the power and potential pitfalls of certain leadership styles. To set expectations, nowhere in this article are we talking about policies or who’s right or wrong. We are talking about the leadership personas and messaging of the candidates, and what people want and need in leader’s today.
Trump’s rise to power doesn’t seem to be due to his reputation for integrity or his regard for human value. Instead, he embodied a tenacity and unwavering focus on achieving his goals, often at the expense of unity and empathy. While this approach brought him to power, it also raises critical questions about the kind of leadership we need in society and organizations today.
Similarly, Kamala Harris’s persona, as the current Vice President, represents a contrasting vision of unity, inclusivity, and contribution. Her message emphasizes compassion and connection, yet it seemed to lack the “chutzpah” that Trump’s message embodies. This contrast illustrates the challenge and need for leaders who can seamlessly integrate empathy with strength, and humanity with economic responsibility. Personas who demonstrate a balanced approach to leadership and clearly articulate that approach are not only essential in politics, but in every organization striving to get ahead.
Why Trump’s Message Worked
Donald Trump personifies a polarizing figure. And still his influence on modern leadership perceptions is undeniable. To most, Trump symbolizes a leader who “gets things done” and doesn’t back down from challenges. When he sees roadblocks, he does what is necessary to eradicate them. His confidence, directness, and outright defiance of political norms appealed to many who were frustrated with traditional leadership styles that have been ineffective. For his supporters, he brought a sense of hope for real change; for others, a sense of apprehension and fear.
Trump’s rise reflects not a celebration of his personal values and behavior, but rather the limitations of the current political environment and a widespread public longing for strength and decisiveness in the country’s leadership. Voters were faced with a choice between candidates who appeared more traditional or those, like Trump, who represented an extreme approach to get shit done. In most cases, his popularity didn’t stem from his ideal leadership qualities, but rather for his “take no prisoners” approach. Many people saw Trump’s message for leadership as a mark of assertiveness that was lacking in his opponents.
Kamala Harris: A Message for Unity and Contribution and Why it Failed
In contrast, Kamala Harris brought a message of unity, inclusivity, and contribution—a leadership style appealing to many in everyday working situations, who believe this approach is missing in leadership today, and if it were present everything would be better. Harris’s message represented a vision of leadership focused on bridging divides, finding common ground, and leading with empathy. However, one of the challenges she faced is a majority perception that she lacked the decisiveness, assertiveness and tenacity that many associate with Trump’s leadership message.
The contrast between both candidates’ message points to the difficulty of integrating empathy with action. What most people do not know is that the hemispheres in your brain favor and build capacity for the easiest way for you to lead. While “take no prisoners” is a major leadership strength in today’s world, it alone will leave a wake of mistrust, fear, and polarity. While inclusivity, unity, and contribution are what people want and long for, it’s just not possible if real action and real results are not present.
Though Harris’s message centers on collaboration and connection, the modern political and organizational landscapes often demand a display of resilience and confidence. Her message was one with a focus on building alliances and emphasizing unity and shared goals over individual triumphs. Trump’s on the other hand, was about disrupting the status quo that so many believe is grossly ineffective.
Our Choice and It’s Potential Adverse Impacts
Many believe that we did not have a candidate on either side of the aisle who demonstrated strength in their ability to make real change happen now as well as the power to inspire and unify the best country on the planet. So we chose what we chose. Some chose not to vote. Others voted for the middle candidate, knowing the middle candidate couldn’t win.
The Need for Integrated Leadership
The lesson isn’t merely about choosing one leader over another; it’s about re-evaluating the qualities we value in leaders. Our society, and particularly our organizations, needs leaders who can blend strength with empathy, ambition with integrity, and pragmatism with humanity. This is the essence of integrated leadership—a model that ensures both short-term achievements and long-term well-being.
True leadership calls for individuals who see people as inherently valuable and understand that their role is to serve and uplift, not to dominate. It also requires financially responsible decision-makers who can make tough choices when needed without losing connection to their fundamental values. Integrated leadership, therefore, doesn’t pit strength against compassion; it uses both to create a balanced, effective approach.
The Pitfalls of Aggressive, Combative Leadership
Trump’s brand of leadership, marked by aggressive tactics and a tendency to “take no prisoners,” has long-term consequences. In organizations, leaders who mimic Trump’s tactics might achieve quick wins or short-term profits however ultimately foster environments marked by fear, distrust, and burnout. While some leaders find initial success through intimidation or aggressive decision-making, they ultimately create toxic workplaces, leading to reduced employee morale and decreased productivity.
Our recent history illustrates the damage caused by leadership styles that prioritize power over people and results over relationships. Leaders who adopt these tactics may temporarily succeed, however they will likely face the eventual fallout of fractured teams, damaged reputations, and unsustainable work environments. The best leaders recognize that integrity, empathy, and respect are not weaknesses; they are foundation of effective sustainable leadership.
Strengths (and Weaknesses) of Empathy in Leadership
Harris’s approach seems like it offers an alternative, emphasizing unity, compassion, and inclusion. Leaders who emulate her model can create environments where people feel valued, trusted, and empowered. This type of leadership doesn’t make headlines as frequently as aggressive tactics, however it fosters long-term loyalty, innovation, and resilience. When leaders prioritize empathy and trust, they build cultures where employees feel inspired to contribute their best, knowing their voices matter.
However, Harris’s challenge lies in balancing compassion with the assertiveness required to lead effectively. A leader solely focused on empathy and inclusivity won’t get things done and achieve results, growth, or profit at the same level. For leaders today, the answer isn’t to choose between kindness and strength. It is to embody both—ensuring that respect for people and pursuit of goals are aligned rather than at odds.
A Call for Whole Leadership
Every organization and community is at a crucial juncture. Leaders can forge down a path that prioritizes aggression, division, and competition, they can choose a path that emphasizes human connection, unity, and integrity, or take door number three and focus on balancing both of those paths.
Choosing the Future of Leadership
The world needs leaders who can harmonize empathy with strength, embodying integrity without losing ambition. In our workplaces, communities, and governments, the most effective leaders are those who can pursue progress while remaining anchored in values that uplift and unite people as well as produce results.
If each of us commits to this vision of integrated leadership, we can create a future where strength and unity go hand in hand, leading to healthier and more productive workplaces, communities, and societies that truly reflect our shared values.
P.S. To learn more about how to integrate your leadership, check out our Evolve the Leader Within Seminar Series.
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