What is Leadership?

I was watching The Apprentice last night. Elizabeth got easily Donalded for poor leadership. As George the old curmudgeon said, "The outcome woulda been the same" had Trump "wasted the time" for the key player meeting. It seems odd to say that I get life lessons from a TV show, but I recognize every one of the people I see on that show. Some aren't that smart, but are natural leaders. Some are really smart, but get so hung up on the details, that they miss the general program. Some are worker bees that would make great staff. And some are blustering blowhards that add alot of headache and heart burn, but little to no substance to a business discussion. The smart ones and the worker bees are the kind that the natural leaders look for to build successes. The blowhards get fired. As do the indecisive.

So in this decision we're all about to make this Tuesday, who's the blowhard and who's the natural leader? Who's the indecisive? Elizabeth got bounced out on her ear by the Trumpster because she wouldn't make a decision and stick to it. Andy "the Kid" stuck to his guns amid all the disagreements and produced a NYPD add that made me want to "join the Force!" A leader can be wrong but never, never, ever, indecisive. Indecision gets business deals killed or overrun by the competition. Indecision on the battlefield just plain gets people killed. Wrong and even right decisions can produce the same result, but not the severity. Capt Talltales is making much out of the 380 tons of HMX/RDX that may or may not have been in Al Qaqaa. He has little to no facts, but has leaped to a conclusion anyway. Some nod in furious, lip-spittle agreement spouting "The buck stops here" in pointing at Dubya. To expect a leader to make every decision, however minute, points to people who don't understand leaderhip.

Dubya made a decision and selected a team of human beings, that are very talented but not incapable of making mistakes, to execute his decision as any good non-micro manager would. He is relying on them to make the tactical decisions necessary to secure his strategic decision, from which he has never wavered. To expect the POTUS to take personal responsibility for a weapons cache that got overlooked (if it fact did), or for a bunch of sick morals-challenged idiots that abused prisoners in their care, is irrational. He's responsible to make sure bad behavior is punished (Fired!) and reward good behavior and success. Overall his strategic decision has produced a phenomenal success (Afghanistan elections, Libya disarming, Iraqi elections to come) with some very public and glaring tactical missteps (Abu Ghraib for sure). Does that mean he's a poor leader? Not at all. even 'the Donald' has made his share of screw-ups or had subordinates screw-up a project for him, but that doesn't mean the project stops!

Capt Talltales understands none of that. Capt Talltales is a blowhard. Capt. Talltales is a poser. I have trouble understanding why nearly half of Americans are still debating this fact. Talltales has added nothing to a very much needed national debate over our purpose in the world except bluster, argumentation, style, and ZERO substance. The last thing he wants is the buck to stop at his desk. He does not wish to lead this nation for better or worse, he wishes to follow the UN. Just as Bill Clinton followed polls his whole career. He's managed to alienate nearly everyone along the way except the most fanatic of the liberal faithful. Capt. Talltales appears to be promising near perfection as a leader. That would make him a liar.