This is not an article about politics… honest.

By Steve Moran

First a confession . . .

I shamelessly swiped this article idea from a very short posting by Dave Pell titled Greatest Political Movement Ever?

This is not an article about politics. Neither is it an article endorsing or condemning Trump as a person, a leader or presidential candidate.

The Big Question

The big question is really an evolving question. It started with the statement, “Just another Trump publicity stunt.”

Then . . .

“Really . . . ”

“No Way!”

We are still in the . . . 

“When are people going to get a clue?”

“He has to flame out . . . go too far”

And finally . . .

“I know he is going to be so offensive . . . so outrageous that he will lose his following, I wonder when?”

It is even weirder because the Democrats are hoping he hangs in there, thinking he will be easiest to beat and the Republican party leadership goes to bed and wakes up praying he will crash and burn.

As David Gergen said in his NIC keynote speak, when people don’t take Trump seriously as a candidate they are making a mistake. He is smart and the people who work for him like him.  

Why He Has a Huge Following . . .

Pell asks this question:  

“Why does Donald Trump attract us when so many of his ideas are utterly repulsive?”

I am not going to debate the claim that his ideas are “utterly repulsive” here, but as Pell points out people are attracted to him and the reason is oh so simple . . .

“He is the first candidate to actually speak his mind.”

Leadership

Our teams, our residents, our families want, need and deserve to know what we are thinking.  

They need to know the challenges, the victories, the struggles.  

They need to know that sometimes there are no great ways to solve a problem.  

They need to know we make mistakes. . . actually they already know that, but what they really need to know is that we know we make mistakes and are willing to own them.

The Harsh Reality

The truth of the matter is that it will make some people mad . . . sometimes really mad. You want to know what I am talking about. Look at these two articles here on Senior Housing Forum:

The Bogus Affordable Senior Living Problem

Followed by:

 Steve Moran Gets Taken to the Cleaners on Affordable Housing

I would be lying if I told you the criticism I received over the first article was like water off a duck’s back. It was zero fun. It hurt. It may even have cost me some readers . . . I just don’t really know.  

Yet we need to be exploring these issues, including the deep dark recesses. It is what allows us to think about important issues, to grow and to learn.    

In spite of the pain, I don’t for a minute regret publishing either the first or second article. They are both important parts of the dialog that will help get us to a solution.

Most Important Lesson

I have no idea whether or not Trump will win the nomination or the presidency, but I think it is likely his most lasting contribution to the political process and to leadership is that saying what you are really thinking is the right way to lead.