Over the past few weeks, I’ve written several #Nuggets on LinkedIn exploring the idea that great leaders are, by nature, disrupters. Before I dive into Trump, it’s worth pausing to unpack the relationship between leadership and disruption.
When you search the word “leadership,” you’ll be overwhelmed by more than 30,000 definitions. That’s because leadership is not a fixed concept; it’s a socially constructed phenomenon. Our understanding of leadership is shaped by cultural expectations, personal experiences, and social context. What one person considers great leadership; another may see as recklessness.
For me, leadership resonates most clearly through the lens of transformational leadership. This is the kind of leadership that inspires and motivates people to pursue extraordinary outcomes. Transformational leaders don’t merely manage—they stir hearts, shift paradigms, and invite others to co-create a compelling future. They cultivate vision, encourage creativity, and foster environments of trust and innovation.
Here’s the key: if you’re not actively working to change the status quo, if you’re not lifting others toward something better, I would argue that you’re not leading. You’re managing. And while management is crucial (the world would fall apart without competent managers), it’s not the same as leadership.
Disruption as a Leadership Trait
To be transformational, you must be a disruptor. A change-maker. Someone who asks difficult, sometimes uncomfortable questions—questions that poke holes in old paradigms and expose assumptions that no longer serve us. These leaders challenge people to rethink the way things are and imagine what could be. They create the conditions for transformation by painting a picture of a brighter tomorrow and then taking others on the journey to get there.
Which brings us to Donald Trump.
I don’t know if Trump has asked many thought-provoking questions, but what I do know is this: he is undeniably a disrupter. From the moment he launched his political career, he has upended norms, dismantled diplomatic conventions, and shifted the global order in ways that were previously unthinkable.
Now in what many are calling his second act (or perhaps second term in all but name), Trump continues to throw the world into a state of upheaval. Some call it chaos; others call it courage. He claims to have a vision for a “better America,” and nearly half the nation has bought in. His four-word slogan is etched into modern political history—recognised globally, as iconic as any major brand.
But slogans are easy. Delivering on the promise is another matter.
Disruption Without Direction?
One of Trump’s most seismic disruptive acts came during what he dubbed “Liberation Day.” The ripple effects across the global economy were immediate and unsettling. Trade wars, geopolitical shifts, and strategic re-alignments sent markets into a frenzy. Allies were left scrambling. Retaliations became the new diplomatic language.
Amidst the noise, Trump insisted that world leaders were calling him to “kiss his…” (well, you know how the quote ends). Are they? Who knows. But the real question isn’t whether Trump can command attention—it’s whether he has a plan. A real one. A roadmap. A strategy. Surely he does? He must do, right?
Because here’s the truth: disruption without direction isn’t leadership, it’s chaos. Or worse, it’s vanity masquerading as vision.
True leadership demands more than bold moves and media moments. Leadership demands intentionality. A transformational leader disrupts not for the sake of spectacle, but to awaken people to the possibility of change. They stir the waters, yes—but then they offer a lifeboat. They don’t just blow things up; they build something better in the aftermath.
Without a plan, without a clear and credible path from disruption to destination, the risk is that all you’ve done is sow confusion. Disruption alone doesn’t make you a leader. It might just make you a lunatic.
The Hope at the Heart of Leadership
At its core, leadership is about people. It’s about hope. It’s about lifting people from the ordinary to the extraordinary. It’s about inspiring them to believe that something more is possible and then giving them the tools and the trust to help create it.
Disruption, when wielded wisely, can be powerful. But it must be guided by vision, strategy, and a genuine concern for the people impacted along the way. That’s what distinguishes a true transformational leader from a performative disruptor.
So, will America be great again? I’m not so sure.
But I am sure of this: the leaders who shape the future will be those who disrupt with purpose, lead with compassion, and build with vision.
