Good Morning Mr. Trump,
Motive is important. What constitutes success or failure, mostly depends on our motive—what we have sought as our objective.
Since 1971, your objective has been to build a company that benefitted your family. Your empire is you. That objective colored your perspective of people. Your objective motivated you to treat people in one of two ways: People were tools to accomplish your objective, or they were impediments to destroy.
You did the same in the presidential race.
To move Carly Fiornia, you called her ugly. Lindsay Graham? you labeled “one of the dumbest human beings you’ve ever met.” Marco Rubio you minimized as “Little Marco.” Hillary Clinton became “Crooked Hillary.” To you, these people were not responsible, feeling, caring, human beings.
They were objects in your way. And you moved them.
That now must stop.
Why?
Because people can no longer be viewed as impediments to your objective. They are your objective.
Mother Teresa left this advice for us all: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
I’m not asking you to be Mother Teresa. But transformational leadership must include love. Transformational leadership is no small task.
Carly Fiorina, Lindsay Graham, Hillary Clinton, the average and less than average American, as well as those protesting you in cities across this land each deserves your compassion. They are your objective.
You clawed your way into the presidency. Hopefully, you did so so that you can work for each of these Americans. So that you can build their hopes and their dreams and their futures.
If that is why you ran for president, we will see that intent reflected in how you treat people.
Hopefully, you have not simply worked for the hostile takeover of a company—a zero sum affair where the winners get everything and the losers, nothing, or worse yet, punished.
Hopefully, you have worked for the privilege to serve us all.
You can do this. The power is within you.
But to do it, you must burn your old playbook and develop in yourself something different.
Find and highlight the qualities in your adversaries.
Open your arms to those who despise you.
Work for those who work against you.
Make us your objective and show us all a better way.
Realize that your objective is people, not the praise of people.
Make the words of Mother Teresa the motto of your presidency: “Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.”
Lead us with this objective, and we will follow.
Get some sleep this weekend!
David O. Leavitt
