Unfit to Serve_E

Donald J. Trump: Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive

Summary: If by some terrible series of events, Donald J. Trump had become a commissioned officer he
would have been court-martialed. He would have been given a dishonorable discharge. The two
charges would have been (1) conduct unbecoming an officer and a Gentleman and (2) dereliction of
duty. He continually violates the 10 best practices of effective leaders and managers. No board of
directors of a reputable, publicly traded company would hire him as the chief executive officer. Here’s
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why.
Donald J. Trump’s Psychological and Emotional Characteristics. He is an “off the scale narcissist”. He is
filled with notions of grandiosity, without empathy for any one. His universe revolves around him

His notions of grandiosity drive a need to always “win”. He has an adulation itch that must be
constantly scratched. He lusts for power and is a bully. In search of grandiosity, his fragile ego drives
him to extreme behaviors. He is a legend in his own mind. He must be perceived as above all others. He
frequently expresses admiration for strongmen and dictators.

His lack of empathy drives a need to demean all others. He is amoral. The truth is not in him, with
constant outrageous lies to build his own self-image. He brags about sexually assaulting women. He
claims to be a Christian but doesn’t follow the Ten Commandments, nor the Golden Rule. He is a
hypocrite. In short, he is a man of low character. A man of character too low to be commander-in-
chief and chief executive!

Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief

The US Army’s Leadership Standards: Excerpted from The US Army Field Manual 6-22 Leadership
Guidelines: (Note: Some minor editorial changes have been made for clarity). FM 6-22, Army
Leadership: Competent, Confident, and Agile, provides the guidelines for Amy leadership
characteristics—attitudes, words and behaviors.

Leadership is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation
while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization.


Competent leaders of character are necessary for the Army to meet the challenges in the dangerous and
complex security environment we face. It is critical that Army leaders be agile, multiskilled pentathletes
who have strong moral character, broad knowledge, and keen intellect. Army leaders must set the
example, teach, and mentor, and this manual provides the principles, concepts, and training to
accomplish this important task on which America depends.
The BE-KNOW-DO concept express what is required of Army leaders. They must display the attributes
and leader competencies bound by the concept of the Warrior Ethos. Leaders must be committed to
lifelong learning to remain relevant and ready during a career of service to the Nation.

Army leadership begins with what the leader must BE— having (added) the values and attributes that
shape character. BE is an enduring expression for Army leadership. It may be helpful to think of BE as


1 Prepared by Allen B Gates, former Republican, former Captain, Artillery, US Army, and concerned citizen.
03/04/2018. See the companion analysis, Menace to Our Democracy.

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internal and defining qualities possessed all the time. As defining qualities, they make up the identity of
the leader. The values and attributes are the same for all leaders, regardless of position, although (they
are) refined through experience and assumption of positions of greater responsibility. For example, a
sergeant major with combat experience may have a deeper understanding of self-less service and
personal courage than a new Soldier.

The knowledge that leaders should use in leadership is what Soldiers and Army civilians (should) KNOW.
Leadership requires knowing about tactics, technical systems, organizations, management of resources,
and the tendencies and needs of people. Knowledge shapes a leader’s identity and is reinforced by a
leader’s actions.

While character and knowledge are necessary, by themselves they are not enough. Leaders cannot be
effective until they apply what they know. What leaders DO, or leader actions, is directly related to the
influence they have on others and what is done. As with knowledge, leaders will learn more about
leadership as they serve in different positions.

Personal examples are as important as spoken words. Leaders set that example, good or bad, with
every action taken and word spoken, on or off duty.


Donald J. Trump, the Commander-in-Chief, does not measure up to the US Army’s Leadership
Standards:
1. He does not, and cannot, meet the standard of BE. He is a man of such low character,
possessing none of the values and attributes required of acceptable US Army officer leadership,
that he would be rejected as an US Army officer.
2. He does not meet the standard of KNOW. He is woefully ignorant and unread in military
matters as he demonstrated multiple times during the campaign. He’s been characterized as
the most ignorant president ever elected.
3. He does not meet the standard of DO. His words and actions do not meet even minimal
standards of civility in tone or content. He degrades others, including subordinates, legislators,
and world leaders, routinely and viciously. Notwithstanding his sworn oath to protect and
defend the Constitution, he attacks the judicial system, the Congress, the FBI, and the free press.
He demands loyalty statements from subordinates. He openly admires strong men. He cozies
up to Russians. He refuses to acknowledge clear Russian meddling in the 2016 election. He
refuses to implement Congressionally mandated sanctions. He refuses to take actions to protect
against future meddling in elections.


Donald J. Trump is demonstrably unfit to be commander-in-chief! Two retired generals have
publicly stated the he’s unfit!

He fails miserably to measure up to the US Army’s leadership standards! If he were a
commissioned officer, he would be court-martialed! He would be given a dishonorable discharge!
His unbecoming an officer conduct would not be tolerated! his dereliction of duty conduct would
not be tolerated!





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In the long run, every organization takes on the characteristics of its leader. Current military leadership
faces a difficult challenge to mentor, coach, and nurture military and civilian personnel to avoid taking
on Donald J. Trump’s characteristics. Spare our democratic Republic if the military takes on his
characteristics!

Unfit to be Chief Executive
In addition to being unfit to lead our military, he’s unfit to serve as Chief Executive! He convinced voters
he was a shrewd business man! He convinced voters he was a master negotiator! As his words and
actions have shown, he is neither!

His business experience is not that of an executive who has lead and managed a major public company.
He has not lead and managed where he had to satisfy a Board of Directors and shareholders. He simply
ran a large family business where he had absolute power. He’s never had to lead and manage in an
environment that requires balancing the interests of many different stakeholders. He’s never had to
lead and manage in an environment that required compliance with the financial reporting requirements
of a publicly traded corporation. His companies have several bankruptcies and multiple lawsuits.

How Trump’s Leadership and Management Practices Measure Up: He violates the following 10 best
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leadership and management practices that are summarized below.

We all know that being good at your job doesn’t guarantee that you're going to be a good manager.
Many of us have learned this from personal experience – while most of us have had a horrible boss
at some point, how many of us have been fortunate enough to work under a truly inspiring leader
who knows how to motivate and get the best out of their team? And more importantly, how do you
become such a leader?

Different management styles will suit different contexts depending on the company culture, the size
of the team or organization, the nature of the work or industry and the personalities involved. There
are some universals, however.

Effective management is an art – but luckily, it is one that can be learned if you follow some basic
principles. Here are some tips on becoming a better manager, starting right now:

1. Best Practice: Select the right people It all starts with getting the best possible team in place –
together, the whole can become greater than the sum of its parts. You need to select the right
people for the right jobs, build a complementary team, and align your people with your
organizational goals and culture.

‘The development of key people may be the single greatest determinant of an organization’s ability
to deal with uncertainty and succeed. “Central to its development is a leader’s ability to engage
people and align the needs of individuals with those of the organization to deliver a united and
cohesive front” states Grant Sexton, managing director of Leadership Management Australasia.

How He Measures Up: He has not demonstrated the ability to attract and retain top-level, talented
staff. The turnover rate in the first year was 34%! As of March 7, 2018 it’s 43%. Of the top twelve

2 https://www.careerfaqs.com.au/news/news-and-views/top-10-management-practices-of-effective-leaders

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staffers, 50% have turned over! He’s hired many who have the same low character as he does. His
son-in-law and daughter can’t seem to keep their private business interests separate from their
official government position interests. Many campaign associates have been indicted, with some
pleading guilty, for lying and unlawful financial transactions. His personal assistant was summarily
removed for serious financial irregularities (but given a spot in the 2020 campaign).

Leaks are rampant indicating profound anxiety with Trump’s leadership and management words and
deeds.

Neither Donald Trump, nor his son-in-law, nor his daughter, have isolated their financial interests
from their government interests. No blind trusts! Only the appearance of separation of interest! No
firewalls that avoid the appearance, nor reality, of conflicts of interests!
He has not built a complementary team that is aligned with common goals.


2. Best Practice: Show empathy Empathy is the ability to listen to people, relate to their emotional
experience and let them know that you are doing so. Managers with high emotional intelligence can
build rapport with and between people, leading to greater trust and transparency in the team.


As a manager, openness and empathy should be a key part of your personal brand. Openness and
empathy are the most important core competencies for managers and leaders.

Developing the ability to understand people and connect with them in a genuine, meaningful way is
a key determining factor in how effective you can be at influencing them, setting them objectives
that motivate them, and rewarding them in a way they each find motivating.

In fact, multiple studies have shown that high performing managers have higher 'emotional
competence'.


How He Measures Up: His extreme narcissism blocks him from feeling or showing empathy. He
publicly berates people who he has appointed and anyone else with whom he finds fault. He fires
people without due process. He cheered the firing of the highly regarded FBI Deputy Director within
hours of his planned retirement, causing potential loss of pension after 21 years of service. He is
unable to provide supportive coaching.


3. Best Practice: Communicate clearly Communication is the key to fostering transparency and
building relationships built on openness, trust and honesty with your team. The first step in effective
communication is to create the time and space for people to talk and to ask questions.

It is important to clearly communicate your goals and expectations and defining people’s roles and
responsibilities in line with these. After all, you can’t motivate people if they don’t know what you
want. Set clear objectives for both the organization and its people to discuss and negotiate, let
people know what support and resources they have access to, and to clearly link rewards to
objectives.

Non-verbal behavior is just as important as what people say, so effective managers need to be keen
observers to gauge how people are responding to a work situation at an emotional level. Lee says
that managers need to be intuitive, since staff members may not always tell you when they’re


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struggling.

Communication needs to flow in all directions, from managers to their staff, from staff to managers,
and between team members. An effective leader is a good listener and fosters an environment
where people can get to know each other and understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses and
communication styles. Good managers are open to input from their staff and learn from their
feedback.


How He Measures Up: He uses Twitter to communicate. The communications are almost always
about himself, not about the Nation’s business. He attacks the on-going investigation into collusion
and obstruction of justice. He brags about how good a job he’s doing, or complains that people
aren’t sufficiently loyal to him.

He’s a master of false and misleading statements. He always claims that his assertions are true. Fact
checkers determine that he mostly makes claims that are misleading or patently false. He admitted
he made up a “fact” in a meeting with the Canadian Prime Mister about a negative trade deficit with
Canada. THE TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM!

His Core Principles in His Own Words
Employ truthful hyperbole, an innocent form of exaggeration
and a very effective form of promotion.

The final key to the way I promote is bravado. I play to people's fantasies. People may not always
think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do.
That's why a little hyperbole never hurts.


THERE’S NOTHING TRUTHFUL NOR INNOCENT IN HIS WORS




th
He communicates at the 4 grade level using monosyllable words. He follows the principle that false

and misleading statements will become believable by those who want to believe if repeated loudly
and often enough. The principles above guide every communication!!

4. Best Practice: Lead by example People will pick up on the verbal and non-verbal expressions of
their boss’s state of mind, so leaders need to take responsibility for the atmosphere they create and
shape it with their own behavior. This can be as simple as your posture and demeanor when you
arrive at the office in the morning, or more systemic like outlining values and protocols for working
with each other.

It’s also important to practice what you preach. You can’t expect your staff to work harder than
you’re willing to. Once in a while, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. As Lee says, ‘Respect
doesn’t come from your position – you have to earn it.’


How He Measures Up: When he appears in public, he brags about how good he is; how he’s the
best president ever except for Abraham Lincoln; how he’s the best jobs president ever; how he’s a


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stable genius; how only he can fix it. How his administration has accomplished more than any other
administration.

It’s generally the case that those who are good don’t need to brag. Those who aren’t good brag.
He’s trying to convince themselves and others that he’s a superior human being and doing an
exceptionally good job as president.
He uses vulgar, insulting, language directed at his perceived enemies. He is masterful at the use of
demeaning verbal and body language. His target audience are his supporters. His intent is to create
division among his supporters and non-supporters.

He is unable to earn respect, except for those who are die-hard supporters. He is widely regarded as
an embarrassment by world leaders and thoughtful Americans.
He continually flip-flops on positions he taken. Stating that he’ll sign legislation that brought to him
on one day, then, reversing himself the next day.

He embraces racially divisive words and deeds, for example, referring to Senator Warren as
‘Pocahontas”. Emboldened by his words and deeds, white supremacist groups have grown in
number and extent.
He cannot even come close to meeting the following criteria for president:

1. Honesty and integrity in the Oval Office,
2. Transformative leadership that converts the current negative political environment into a
positive political environment that seeks the common good,
3. Competent management, and
4. Appearance, demeanor and style that will be respected by Americans and non-Americans alike.
No thoughtful, ethical, competent person would ever admire, nor follow, his example.


5. Best Practice: Delegate As a manager, it’s important that you recognize that there are only so
many hours in the day, and only so much that you can do by yourself. While you may find that it’s
faster to get things done on your own in the short term (particularly if you have a new or
inexperienced team), in the long term you will save a lot of time by delegating meaningful projects
to your team members. By doing this, you will also build their skills and help them reach their
potential. However delegation doesn’t mean micromanaging. Wallace Lee also warns against
micromanaging: ‘Don't interfere – know when your staff can run with things.’

It’s important to let your staff take ownership of their work and find their own ways of doing things.
Articulate the outcome you would like to see – and then leave them to their devices, checking in
every once in a while, to see if they need your support. As Crossing advises, ‘Delegate responsibility
rather than tasks,’ for maximum impact.


How He Measures Up: He claims to delegate, but there’s no evidence to support his claim.

6. Best Practice: Be positive and constructive Providing timely and meaningful feedback to your
staff is crucial, as is determining how best to give them this feedback. Crossing recommends
tailoring your approach to each individual, with some people requiring regular assurance and



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support, and others preferring more autonomy. Lee adds that it’s important to let your staff know
what they’re doing right as well as what areas they need to work on.

Follow the BIO model (an explanation of the Behavior, the Impact it had and the Options going
forward). It’s better to tell people what you want them to do rather than telling them what you
don’t want them to do, according to Crossing. If you must comment on poor performance, use
actual observations to demonstrate the issue and talk about behaviors (which people can change)
rather than criticize personalities or make value judgments.

How He Measures Up He is not positive nor constructive. He demeans, insults, and fires!


7. Best Practice: Thank and reward your people Thank and reward your people is often neglected
but can’t be overstated – it takes very little effort to thank someone, but it can make all the
difference to how people feel on the job. After all, your team members are people, not robots!

When it comes to rewards, it’s important to provide rewards that people will actually find gratifying.
For example, some people love to be taken out for lunch, while others might prefer time in lieu or
more autonomy and responsibility. Many managers reward people in the way they themselves like
to be rewarded, which is not always effective.

How He Measures Up: There’s no evidence that he thanks and rewards performance, only that he
demeans, insults, and degrades people.

8. Best Practice: Develop your people A manager is only as good as their team. Lee emphasizes the
importance of focusing on your staff’s development, saying, ‘Help your employees to succeed – their
success is your success. Be patient. Coach them and coach them and coach them ... they'll
remember one day.’

The best way to coach your people is to help them focus on process rather than content. As a
manager you will have people coming to you with issues and problems, but instead of getting
bogged down in the detail, coach people. If you don’t know where to start, here’s a framework.

Ask the person to:
1. Outline the problem;
2. Describe the impact the problem is having;
3. Explain what they've tried already;
4. Define what an ideal outcome looks like;
5. Explore the resources they might use to get there;
6. Consider possible next steps;
7. Have them try it; and b/
8. Come back to you with the results.

This turns the problem orientation into a solution orientation, as well as being a great learning
opportunity and empowering the person to solve the problem themselves.

How He Measures Up. He’s totally in violation of the develop your people principle. He simply
fires!



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9. Best Practice: Encourage innovation


It’s important for leaders to think outside the square and know when to take risks. As Wallace Lee
advises, ‘Take risks with your employees – often they bring pleasant surprises.’

By giving people the freedom to work through problems and solutions themselves, you will
encourage innovation, creativity and resourcefulness. Lee advises, ‘Let your team think for
themselves; don't strangle their creativity. Encourage innovation – for instance, Google allows one
day a week for every employee to innovate.’

(Google does indeed allow its employees to use up to 20 per cent of their time to pursue their own
independent projects. Apparently, this independent work time leads to 2.5 times greater
productivity and generates the ideas for 50 per cent of all new product releases!)

How He Measures Up: He’s innovatively destroying the various agencies. As examples, he’s
hollowed out the State Departments staff and structure! He’s destroying the Environmental
Protection Agency!


10. Best Practice: Be flexible

Good managers have a flexible approach and can adapt to individual employees, allowing them to
work according to their own individual style.

In addition, flexible workplace practices have emerged as an increasingly important priority for
employees. A survey by Leadership Management Australasia lists flexible work arrangements/hours
as the fifth most important influence on employee performance, and fourth most important reason
for employees to stay with an organization. In other words, flexibility pays off, so take the time to
hear out what your team needs.

How He Measures Up: There’s no evidence he follows the best practice.




Summary Principle:

Great leaders know how to lead from the front
and motivate their teams to perform to the best of their abilities.


How He Measures Up

Donald J. Trump is demonstrably unfit to be chief executive. He was able to create a false
belief that he was a competent, experience businessman! His claim was that he would drain
the swamp. All that he’s done is add new alligators to the swamp!








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Appendix 1

Uniform Code of Military Conduct
Article 113 Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman


Text.

“Any commissioned officer, cadet, or midshipman who is convicted of conduct unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”


Elements.

(1) That the accused did or omitted to do certain acts; and


(2) That, under the circumstances, these acts or omissions constituted conduct unbecoming an
officer and gentleman.


Explanation.

(1) Gentleman. As used in this article, “gentleman” includes both male and female
commissioned officers, cadets, and midshipmen.

(2) Nature of offense. Conduct violative of this article is action or behavior in an official capacity
which, in dishonoring or disgracing the person as an officer, seriously compromises the officer’s
character as a gentleman, or action or behavior in an unofficial or private capacity which, in
dishonoring or disgracing the officer personally, seriously compromises the person’s standing as
an officer. There are certain moral attributes common to the ideal officer and the perfect
gentleman, a lack of which is indicated by acts of dishonesty, unfair dealing, indecency,
indecorum, lawlessness, injustice, or cruelty. Not everyone is or can be expected to meet
unrealistically high moral standards, but there is a limit of tolerance based on customs of the
service and military necessity below which the personal standards of an officer, cadet, or
midshipman cannot fall without seriously compromising the person’s standing as an officer,
cadet, or midshipman or the person’s character as a gentleman. This article prohibits conduct by
a commissioned officer, cadet or midshipman which, taking all the circumstances into
consideration, is thus compromising. This article includes acts made punishable by any other
article, provided these acts amount to conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. Thus, a
commissioned officer who steals property violates both this article and Article 121. Whenever
the offense charged is the same as a specific offense set forth in this Manual, the elements of
proof are the same as those set forth in the paragraph which treats that specific offense, with the
additional requirement that the act or omission constitutes conduct unbecoming an officer and
gentleman.




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(3) Examples of offenses. Instances of violation of this article include knowingly making a false
official statement; dishonorable failure to pay a debt; cheating on an exam; opening and reading
a letter of another without authority; using insulting or defamatory language to another officer in
that officer’s presence or about that officer to other military persons; being drunk and disorderly
in a public place; public association with known prostitutes; committing or attempting to commit
a crime involving moral turpitude; and failing without good cause to support the officer’s family.

Appendix 2


Uniform Code of Military Justice

Article 92 Failure to Obey Order or Regulation


Text

“Any person subject to this chapter who—
(1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation;

(2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces,
which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or

(3) is derelict in the performance of his duties; shall be punished as a court-martial may
direct.”

Elements.
(1) Violation of or failure to obey a lawful general order or regulation.

(a) That there was in effect a certain lawful general order or regulation;

(b) That the accused had a duty to obey it; and

c) That the accused had a duty to obey the order; and

(d) That the accused failed to obey the order.


(2) Dereliction in the performance of duties.

(a) That the accused had certain duties;


(b) That the accused knew or reasonably should have known of the duties; and

(c) That the accused was (willfully) (through neglect or culpable inefficiency) derelict in the
performance of those duties.

Explanation.




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(1) Violation of or failure to obey a lawful general order or regulation.

(a) General orders or regulations are those orders or regulations generally applicable to an armed
force which are properly published by the President or the Secretary of Defense, of
Transportation, or of a military department, and those orders or regulations generally applicable
to the command of the officer issuing them throughout the command or a particular subdivision
thereof which are issued by:

(b) A general order or regulation issued by a commander with authority under Article 92(1)
retains its character as a general order or regulation when another officer takes command, until it
expires by its own terms or is rescinded by separate action, even if it is issued by an officer who
is a general or flag officer in command and command is assumed by another officer who is not a
general or flag officer.

(c) A general order or regulation is lawful unless it is contrary to the Constitution, the laws of the
United States, or lawful superior orders or for some other reason is beyond the authority of the
official issuing it. See the discussion of lawfulness in paragraph 14c(2)(a).

(d) Knowledge. Knowledge of a general order or regulation need not be alleged or proved, as
knowledge is not an element of this offense and a lack of knowledge does not constitute a
defense.

(e) Enforceability. Not all provisions in general orders or regulations can be enforced under
Article 92(1). Regulations which only supply general guide-lines or advice for conducting
military functions may not be enforceable under Article 92(1).

• (i) an officer having general court-martial jurisdiction;


(ii) a general or flag officer in command; or

(iii) a commander superior to (i) or (ii).

(2) Violation of or failure to obey other lawful order.


(a) Scope. Article 92(2) includes all other lawful orders which may be issued by a member of the
armed forces, violations of which are not chargeable under Article 90, 91, or 92(1). It includes
the violation of written regulations which are not general regulations. See also subparagraph
(1)(e) above as applicable.


(b) Knowledge. In order to be guilty of this offense, a person must have had actual knowledge of
the order or regulation. Knowledge of the order may be proved by circumstantial evidence.


(c) Duty to obey order.

(i) From a superior. A member of one armed force who is senior in rank to a member of another
armed force is the superior of that member with authority to issue orders which that member has



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a duty to obey under the same circumstances as a commissioned officer of one armed force is the
superior commissioned officer of a member of an-other armed force for the purposes of
Articles 89, and 90. See paragraph 13c(1).


(ii) From one not a superior. Failure to obey the lawful order of one not a superior is an offense
under Article 92(2), provided the accused had a duty to obey the order, such as one issued by a
sentinel or a member of the armed forces police.

See paragraph 15b(2), if the order was issued by a warrant, noncommissioned, or petty officer in
the execution of office.

(3) Dereliction in the performance of duties.


(a) Duty. A duty may be imposed by treaty, statute, regulation, lawful order, standard operating
procedure, or custom of the service.


(b) Knowledge. Actual knowledge of duties may be proved by circumstantial evidence. Actual
knowledge need not be shown if the individual reasonably should have known of the duties. This
may be demonstrated by regulations, training or operating manuals, customs of the service,
academic literature or testimony, testimony of persons who have held similar or superior
positions, or similar evidence.

(c) Derelict. A person is derelict in the performance of duties when that person willfully or
negligently fails to perform that person’s duties or when that person performs them in a culpably
inefficient manner. “Willfully” means intentionally. I t refers to the doing of an act knowingly
and purposely, specifically intending the natural and probable consequences of the act.
“Negligently” means an act or omission of a person who is under a duty to use due care which
exhibits a lack of that degree of care which a reasonably prudent person would have exercised
under the same or similar circumstances. “Culpable inefficiency” is inefficiency for which there
is no reasonable or just excuse.


(d) Ineptitude. A person is not derelict in the performance of duties if the failure to perform those
duties is caused by ineptitude rather than by willfulness, negligence, or culpable inefficiency, and
may not be charged under this article, or otherwise punished. For example, a recruit who has
tried earnestly during rifle training and throughout record firing is not derelict in the performance
of duties if the recruit fails to qualify with the weapon.
















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