One More Time: Why Not Trump?

January 27, 2021

On September 23rd, 2016 I described the danger we face if Trump is elected and predicted a constitutional crisis if he does. Please read.

... I think Trump is (more) dangerous, and in what follows I will explain why.    
  According to my (PAEI) classification of leadership styles(1) he is an enormous (E). Here are the symptoms: He does not follow a script very well. He listens to no one unless they are applauding him. As a big ego, he likes to surround himself with people who admire him and clap their hands for his performance. He behaves like an actor on stage. He enjoys tremendously the attention he gets. He loves the limelight and the hordes of people cheering him on, and he abhors anyone who disagrees with him. Like all big (E)s, he exaggerates to the point of being untruthful. He does not explain his policies. “Details aren’t important now,” he says......... He does not read in preparation for decision making. He relies on rumors to make up his mind. He even says, “It is not good to know too much.” He believes that a vague overview of a problem is enough information for him to decide what to do. Many people who support him believe his decisions will be ok because he will surround himself with qualified people who will not let him make big mistakes. But If I am right that he is a big, big (E) he does not listen to anyone. Especially if they disagree with him. Like a classic (E) he believes he is surrounded by turkeys. He believes he is the eagle who knows best. That is why he says, “I know better than the generals how and when to handle war.”He has a low coefficient of error, like all (E)s. He behaves like an eagle, to whom as any bird, change looks very simple, effortless, flying over a mountain, ignoring the details of the terrain that would make the same route extremely difficult on the ground. That is why he says he will destroy the so-called Islamic State in thirty days. That is why a group of top thirty security experts who know the complexity of the situation signed a petition saying that he is dangerous to the security of the United States. Like all (E)s, he is brash and confident. He promises that he can do all that needs to be done, and that he is the change this country needs. But is (E) leadership what the country needs now? I believe the United States is in the aging part of its lifecycle. The (A) is enormous. The bureaucracy and the centralization of decision making powers in Washington are only two of the symptoms of aging. That is the reason why the population wants to see change. This explains to me why Trump, the big (E), has gotten as far as he has in the campaign and why he is so close to the White House. But exclusive (E) style, put on top of an enormous (A) system, is dangerous. He is going to be reckless. He will skirt the law. He will violate the Constitution; I am sure of that. A big (E) like this in charge of a big (A) system will be destroying the (A), which people may like to see, but it will have disastrous side effects if not done correctly. Dismantling a bureaucracy and decentralizing power that accumulated in Washington needs to be done very carefully like one will disarm a mine. Destroying a system is not equivalent to building a new one. I have no doubt there will be a crisis America has not seen yet. The president has authority through executive action to make decisions and bypass the legislative function. Trump will do exactly that and lead us into a constitutional crisis. He is an arsonist in his style; he will start fires all over the place, fires that he will not be able to control. These will not be small fires, as he will have enormous power. This is serious. America is not some startup country where the (E) style is effective.... Very concerned of what is happening to America.

(1) Ichak Kalderon Adizes: Management Mismanagement Styles (Adizes Institute Publications 2004) Ebook Available: http://amzn.to/2cSgF3t

Written by
Dr. Ichak Adizes