[February 18, 2017] There’s been a lot of criticism of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. Critical behavior is certainly not new in the political environment but there is a common understanding among professionals that to disparage an incoming leader is amateurish and ethically wrong.
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
To those who criticize an incoming leader, they should be aware that their behavior may have unexpected costs. For example, it may mean that failures of a new leader can now be explained away as orchestrated by “obstructionists” who are willing to act disingenuously or dishonorably (businessman Richard Branson has an interesting view on this1).
An unwritten rule in the U.S. military is to never criticize or complain about either the outgoing or incoming leader. The idea behind this, other than tradition, is that the success or failure of a new leader should be based on his or her performance alone, not on others who’ve placed obstacles in their path.
There are good arguments behind this pragmatic way of thinking. First, more is gained through cooperation and working to make changes from the inside an organization. History tells us that those who use this approach have seen more successes than failures. The social and intellectual skills of such a person is more persuasive than any attempt to undermine a new leader by complaint.
Second, any new leader will never have the same (or better) level of knowledge and experience with the intricacies of the job. To purposefully sabotage the efforts of a new leader or put into place obstacles puts the obstructionist in the position of spoiler. It doesn’t mean the new leader won’t do a better job but it is always best to wait for a new leader to fail on their own, if one wishes it so, so that the failure sits squarely with that leader.
Third, criticisms may have the unintended consequence of having the opposite wished-for effect. Someone once said that when people criticize another person, it can give them extra energy to do even more and to reach their full potential. It can also bring attention to the fact that the new leader has more obstacles than realized and thus people are likely to rally to their cause.
Politics may have its own rules but when it comes to leadership, there is little difference across cultures and time. Whether we agree or not, the best way to make lasting change is to participate not remonstrate.
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- “When I was a kid, I had a tendency to criticize. But when I did, my mum would whisk me off to the bathroom to stand in front of a mirror. Ten minutes, never less. To think about how criticism is a poor reflection on the one who criticizes.” – Richard Branson, English business magnate, investor, and philanthropist