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You Can't Always Be Mr. Nice Guy
October 15, 2004
(PAGE 2 of 2)
You not only didn’t go on the attack, you didn’t stand up for yourself either. Don’t get me wrong. Unlike Jennifer Crisafulli, you did the smart thing in owning up to your mistakes. Your problem was you shouldered all of the blame. You didn’t bother to defend your decisions. You didn’t give people a chance to see things your way. You just admitted you were wrong and agreed with them. No explanation. Nothing. When Trump called you to task for not bringing in Wes, you didn’t say why you thought he didn’t deserve to be there. You just admitted you made a mistake and said nothing more. By doing so, you let everyone know that you thought they were right. You knew the man deserved to be there but didn’t pick him for strategic reasons that backfired on you. That may have been the truth, but you could have spun it your way. You could have offered up reasons why you thought Kevin was more to blame than Wes and also how Wes had proven himself to be valuable in other ways. Nope. You just took the heat.
You shouldered so much of the blame that Trump had no choice but to fire you. There was simply no one else to blame. You basically said that it was all your fault. You even apologized for it. You apologized for letting your team down. You said, “My team is strong, and these guys are good guys. I am just so disappointed. I wanted this win for my team so badly, and I just apologize I made these mistakes.” You praised all of your teammates and hung yourself out to dry. You took every inch of responsibility and laid none of the blame on anyone else. You said, in effect, that you were the one who screwed up, not them. You threw yourself at Trump’s mercy. You meant well. You worked hard, you pleaded. You’re a good guy. Please don’t fire me.
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You can’t point the gun at yourself and expect someone not to shoot. You have to give them another target. You didn’t. You kept digging your own grave. When you open your casket and lie down in it, don’t be surprised when they bury you. People want confident leaders who take charge and don’t let others get the best of them. When leaders screw up, they don’t beg for mercy; they stand their ground. You’re allowed mistakes but you can’t allow them to define you. You have to rise above them, dismiss them as anomalies, and make people see why they should still follow you. You can’t expect people to fall in line just because they like you. People want to work for likable people who make them money; people hang out with people who are just likable.
Trump said that you’re an “outstanding” individual who’s going to be a “tremendous success some day.” I couldn’t agree more. Just know that to be a leader, you can’t always be Mr. Nice Guy. We liked you and are sorry to see you go.
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Your problem was you shouldered all of the blame.
