Bill Gates and Donald Trump

Change is a necessary phenomenon in organizations. In fact, it is said that the need for change is the only thing that does not change. Change, according to some theorists requires a shift in the balance of forces for and against the change. Others suggest that producing a change depends on the level of top management commitment, the type of intervention used, people’s readiness for change, the level of resistance, or the organization’s culture (Gardner, 1998). Each of these perspectives is important in the understanding of and the ability to produce effective intentional change in organizations. All organizations need to solve a fundamental problem when faced with a changing work environment, whether intentional or induced, due to internal and external forces - how to maintain internal cohesion while producing economic outputs.

Technological developments have created a decentralized workplace where the roles of workers, employers and the various other components of the organization have undergone a dramatic change causing a conflict as each struggles to retain and reestablish equilibrium within their environment. The change is causing the emergence of a completely new wok place. Forces like telecommunications, virtual organizations and manager leaders are challenging each and every aspect of the organization. Large scale organizations that have a large workforce are thrown into chaos as they struggle to implement information systems that will help them become global while controlling the internal dynamics. Displacement of workers through downsizing as machines replace people, changing corporate cultures as mergers and acquisitions become the norm and a more horizontal work management as leaders emerge on every level of the hierarchy trying to control the chaos are factors that have to be faced while ensuring the competitors do not take advantage of the chaos. In such a scenario we look towards the success stories of organizational heads to determine the basis of power and success and what theories make them a success.

In his Book “The America We Deserve” Donald Trump states, "Rich people who don't know me never like me. Rich people who know me, like me." Does this mean he doesn't get the recognition he deserves as a businessman? "I don't think anybody knows how big my business is," Trump replied. "People would rather talk about my social life than the fact that I'm building a 90-story building next to the U.N. ... They cover me for all sorts of wrong reasons (The America We Deserve)." Donald Trump, the big boss of the reality TV show “The Apprentice”, is a very successful businessman who happens to be one of the richest men in USA [Author Unknown, 2004]. The reality show has been a huge success for the NBC and has been viewed by youngsters all over the world.

Donald Trump is a star tycoon in the real sense of the word. In the reality show, The Apprentice, he gives us a glimpse into the characteristics that have made him so successful in life. He is a man of great vision. In the assignments he gives the participants, he shows his skill at leading. From selling lemonade, the assignments guide them to showcasing their skills in sales, marketing, and team building. In the manner, he analyzes their actions and identifies their faults; he shows how observant and studious he is. He was the leader who found fault with the winning team in a particular episode for not granting an interview to a prospective client. In his firing style, Donald Trump shows how effective decision-making and crisp communication skills have helped him build his organization into an empire. He comes across as a man intolerant of sloppiness, sluggishness, arrogance and carelessness [Arena, 1999].

To work in the organization led by Donald Trump, people need to be driven by high ambitions. They must be able to think “big” like him. It would be a pleasure and a privilege to work in an organization that is lead by such a great man. His immense zest for life and success is so very contagious. He is bossy in the real sense of the world and his leadership style is almost dictatorial with the beginners. But we find him adopt a coaching style with the participants, as episodes keep moving. With his own subordinates in the company, we find him delegating work with ease and confidence. Thus Donald Trump proves himself to be an effective leader with situational leadership skills, following the golden principle of “different strokes for different people” with йlan [Barret, 1992].

Donald Trump is a man of power and as such, he does hold an air of arrogance to his persona. His body language is aggressive and he is impatient. There is an air of ruthlessness when he “fires” one of the team every week. He sometimes fails to listen to the other side of the story and trusts his own impulsive judgment. These would be some of the negative traits