Post-Election Leadership Risks & Opportunities
Dear All,
In the month since Election Day, I’ve reflected on what Trump’s second victory means and the risks it might bring. But most of all, I’ve been focused—working with our members and advisory boards—on defining Leadership Now’s action plan.
While the risks are real and responding to them effectively is critical, we are equally convinced that this moment demands a focus on reinvention and positive disruption to shape a better future for our nation.
Starting this month, Leadership Now’s newsletter will reflect this approach and help you cut through the noise by highlighting leadership risks, opportunities, and actions that matter. ?
In this edition, we focus on the leadership risks posed by cabinet picks who are unqualified for the massive obligations of their roles and Elon Musk’s use of his platform X to attack and spread disinformation about individual public servants. On the leadership opportunities side, read how selecting a new DNC chair presents a chance for reinvention for Democrats—or a path to maintaining an ineffective status quo.
Read more in my recent Fast Company op-ed with Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, on what’s at stake for public sector leadership and what it means for business.
Thank you for your continued engagement—it truly matters.
Best,
Daniella
Leadership Risks: Unqualified Cabinet Nominations and Threats to Public Servants
Consistent with the risks Leadership Now prioritized in 2020 and 2024, we are concerned with how the former president’s return to the White House will impact the rule of law, national security, respect for elections, and quality of leadership. Decisions in these areas could irreversibly change our system of checks and balances and we will track these risks closely.
National Security Risk–Unqualified Cabinet Nominations
Trump’s nominations—like Matt Gaetz (withdrawn), Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and Kash Patel are unqualified for their roles and appear to have been selected entirely because of their loyalty to Trump.
These appointments risk turning military and intelligence services into political tools for the president while signaling a deliberate strategy to weaken the core functions of the U.S. government. As historians Tim Snyder, Anne Applebaum, and others emphasize, this is a well-worn path to authoritarianism seen in other countries like Hungary, Turkey, and Russia.
Rule of Law Risk–Elon Musk’s Attacks on Public Servants
Threats against political candidates and public servants are often seen in autocracies, not in the US. However, it’s now becoming increasingly common in American politics. Elon Musk in particular is using X to escalate threats against federal employees and lawmakers, including publicizing federal employees by name holding roles he hopes to ax or accusing retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, brother of U.S. Representative-elect Eugene Vindman, of treason.
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These threats are more than a one-off. Project 2025 lays out plans for the new administration to replace career civil servants with loyalists, directly threatening the integrity and effectiveness of our public institutions. The goal isn’t reform—it’s control.
Leadership Opportunities: Selecting A New Chair of the Democratic National Committee
The current DNC Chair, Jaime Harrison, has announced that he will not seek reelection. A replacement will be selected on February 1st by the 441 members of the DNC. This leader will be responsible for guiding Democratic messaging, fundraising, and campaign infrastructure (data, field operations, communications), coordinating across state parties, and providing funding support to presidential campaigns.
To date, the three announced candidates are:
Others, including former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Bernie Sanders Campaign Manager Faiz Shakir, are considering running.
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What We’re Reading
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Entrepreneur, Social Business Architect, Connector, Convener, Facilitator - Innovation, Global Development, Sustainability
2 个月Here is Timothy Snyder with Rick Wilson of The Lincoln Project on freedom as the "value of values" as circulated amongst Founders for Kamala earlier this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT45QHpTIPM Call-out to Samantha Katz and company leading the charge requesting Biden to publish the Equal Rights Amendment as a further safeguard against the worst abuses of power to be expected under a second Trump administration. To add to your recommendations for alternatives to Twitter, Daniella, Joe Trippi, Yevgeny Simkin have launched SEZ.US as a platform providing freedom of speech without freedom of reach, bringing the pro-social dynamics of in-person engagement online.
Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor - Full Service Exit Strategy for Mid-market Business Owners | Writer | Civic Solutions Podcast Host
2 个月Unfortunately, this "well-worn path to authoritarianism" has been aided and abetted by the uni-party B team lead by chief grifter Jamie Harrison. Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to a) go after Bernie in 2016 & 2020, then b) go after Jill Stein in 2024. The D's have completely lost their credibility.