It Would Benefit Donald Trump to Trust and Listen to His Advisors

Advisors are there to help us. They may not always be on point but they happen to hold specific expertise, experience and successes which we seek because it’s not our core knowledge and strength.

Donald Trump has always been a maverick with his communication and he has a high tolerance for risk to his political and personal reputation with the media and voters.

That’s led to recklessness and getting himself into hot water. While he’s regularly succeeded in in business and politics, it’s been, at least some of the time, in spite of himself. Yet Trump has also failed big along the way, tasting bitter losses in business and politics, so he doesn’t know everything that he thinks he does about everything.

He would absolutely benefit from listening to his political advisors and if he has any, communications advisors. Yet Trump is a communications-and-political pugilist that is going to do things, “my way,” regardless of the consequences.

“Many prominent Republicans, from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Harris and Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), have been urging former President Donald Trump to avoid personal attacks on Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and stick to a policy-driven campaign," writes Alex Henderson at Alternet.

We all know that isn’t going to happen, regardless of which candidate we prefer, don’t we? We know what the former President’s habit is, which is: Do the opposite.

“You know, they always say, 'Sir, please stick to policy, don't get personal,' but they're getting personal all night, these people…. My advisors are fired."

1. No “but” about it. Listen. Heed the wisdom. 2. Fired? Seems arrogant and reckless.

Surrounding yourself with only “yes-men” is dangerous business.

Think what you will of Trump’s mindset and desire to retaliate, that’s his decades-long-established brand. It’s going to either cost him the election or make it far closer than he speculates. Trump’s advisors are trying to warn him, to serve him well, to help him.

You have to want to hear wisdom and trust it to want to follow it and Trump is an impulsive person who has a painfully difficult time trusting others and regulating his feelings. His desire is to hurt people to get what he wants. The end justifies the means.

Personal governance and risk management, not Trump’s strategy or habit.

He’s rolling the dice on his political future and emotional, psychological peace of mind.

Michael Toebe is a specialist for trust, risk, relationship, communications and reputation at Reputation Intelligence - Reputation Quality. He serves individuals and organizations by helping them further build, protect, restore and reconstruct reputation.

This article was first published at the Substack version of Reputation Intelligence on Aug. 22, 2024