A tale of two presidents

As I sat in the auditorium of the Royal Armouries in Leeds at the Institute of Demolition Engineers’ spring seminar on Friday last week, I was blissfully unaware of the meeting that was taking place at the White House between Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump.

I was seated in the front row, maybe 15 feet from Institute of Demolition Engineers’ president Adrian McLean, who was sat alone at the top table on the stage.? He opened the meeting by describing the delegates as “the soul, the hearts and the mind” of the industry.? He gave awards to those that had demonstrated their passion for and commitment to the demolition industry.? He shed a tear when he bestowed a posthumous IDE fellowship on his friend Angus Holdsworth who tragically passed away late last year.? He beamed with pride when his son Cormac took part in a joint presentation.? And when one of the presenters was temporarily overcome with emotion, he consoled him.

McLean was centre stage.? But it was patently clear that this was not about him but about the IDE members, and the about the betterment of the the wider demolition industry.

Compare and contrast that with the manner in which Donald Trump berated and attempted to belittle the beleaguered, battle-weary but dignified Ukrainian president.

Now, to be clear, this is not a political statement.? I am English and I have no say in US politics whatsoever.? I am talking purely about how two men in high office comport themselves.

And what Trump did to Zelensky was nothing more than a villainous and performative ambush staged purely for the cameras.?

I am sure that previous meetings between presidents and other world leaders have been heated at times.? Global politics is a high stakes game, particularly at a time of war, and everyone is determined to safeguard their own nation’s interests.? But this was deliberately and strategically held in the full gaze of the media purely to show Trump as the tough guy he so desperately wants to be.

He accomplished the opposite.? He came across as a petty-minded bully while his vice-president proved himself to be a world class sycophant of the highest order.

I will say again.? This is not political.? Should the US be the world police?? Maybe, maybe not.? Should the US be helping to fund a war that has already claimed thousands of lives?? Again, maybe.? Maybe not.? These are questions for people far smarter than me.

But verbally berating a brave man who has stood against the Goliath-like might of an aggressive and war-mongering neighbour is the equivalent of kicking a man when he is down.? Even by Trump’s already low moral benchmark, this was a new low.

Proper leaders guide, inspire, and influence others toward a shared vision. They embody traits like integrity and empathy. Leaders not only set direction; they also foster collaboration and empower those around them.? True leaders recognise that they are not the main character; that they exist to represent their people.

I realise that the role of president of a trade institute and the head of the US are markedly different jobs requiring markedly different skills.? But both roles are held by humans.? The difference is that one of them IS human while the other is demonstrably inhuman.

There is another difference between Adrian McLean and Donald Trump; one that marks one as presidential and the other as unworthy of the title.

Donald Trump’s message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy will, I am sure, go down a storm among his rabid MAGA fan-base, and among the American right-wing media that now seemingly exists purely to do his bidding.? Meanwhile, the other half of America will be feeling shame at Trump’s actions in their name.? When Trump’s ambush Zelenskyy was over, he had merely caused further division in an already divided country and an already divided world.

When Adrian McLean closed the IDE meeting in Leeds, he did so to a membership and an industry united.

To me, that is the mark of a true leader.

This article was written by Mark Anthony, founder and editor of DemolitionNews.com.

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