American business magnate and television personality Donald Trump recently announced that he would be running for President representing the Republican Party in the United States. One of the reasons, Fortune says, for his popularity, if current polls are anything to go by, is how ‘authentic’ he appears, which can’t be said for most of politicians. It was also something that current US president Barack Obama had going for him. In an age where all politicians do is pay lip service and forget their promises once elected to office, the people want a leader who thinks like them and has the same views as them, someone who can relate to them and make a change upon reaching the Office. It is what even big companies need in a leader – someone authentic and real who are passionate about their areas of expertise.
In an article on Fortune.com, the author says that Trump cannot be grouped into the same bracket as the CEOs of big companies like Apple, Google and Pepsi, who claim to take experiences from their lives and use them to help them run a company. The author points out that authenticity doesn’t necessarily mean speaking everything that comes to mind, what Trump has been doing so far in his Presidential campaign. In his speech announcing his candidacy, Trump said that Mexicans from across the border of America were the ones bringing in guns and that they, along with the African American, were the ones who raped their (white) women.
Trump built his career on controversy and it seems like the USP of his presidential campaign as well. The Fortune.com article delves into what makes a good leader, not just in the political circuit, but also in the corporate world. The article talks about how authenticity, something Trump is using in his campaign, is also used by people as a crutch to refuse change. The author also adds that some times being authentic, especially when in a position of leadership, doesn’t always work in your favour, citing the example of a woman who graduated from the CEO of a small company to the leader of one on Wall Street. To read the full article, click here .