In-House Counsel

Donald Trump's Lessons On Management

If you thought you knew how to conduct yourself as an in-house attorney, think again.

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At a corporation, you’re often asked to lead teams.

So I naturally looked to our leader-in-chief, the President, for examples of how best to lead people.

I had been told by many folks, for example, to “praise publicly, criticize privately.”  People who do praiseworthy things should feel that they’re getting proper recognition for their work.  People whose work needs improvement, on the other hand, should be spared public embarrassment and shouldn’t come to resent their supervisor.  I thought you should praise publicly and criticize privately.

But Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man… Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!

The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didn’t tell me he was going to recuse himself…I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined…and Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion!

I had learned from other folks who think about management that criticism should be leveled carefully and neutrally.  Depersonalize the situation.  Just describe the performance that must be improved.  That maximizes the chance that the person being criticized will take the criticism to heart and improve his or her performance.

But Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

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Jeff Sessions said he wouldn’t allow politics to influence him only because he doesn’t understand what is happening underneath his command position. Highly conflicted Bob Mueller and his gang of 17 Angry Dems are having a field day as real corruption goes untouched. No Collusion!

I learned not to call people names.  That would be puerile, of course, but that’s not why management gurus tell you to avoid. it.  The problem is that calling people names destroys relationships and makes it very difficult later to work constructively with people whom you’ve insulted.

Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job.

So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!

I had been told that good leaders don’t hog all the credit.  Rather, give credit to members of your team.  Indeed, crediting your team and helping other team members advance their careers is the hallmark of a great manager.  Take yourself out of the picture.

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Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

So great that oil prices are falling (thank you President T). Add that, which is like a big Tax Cut, to our other good Economic news. Inflation down (are you listening Fed)!

I had learned that good leaders take the blame when things go wrong.  Sometimes, the leader is actually to blame.  Other times, the leader may not have been at fault, but the good leader nonetheless accepts responsibility, protecting those who work for him from criticism.

Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

I think the Fed right now is a much bigger problem than China. I think it’s — I think it’s incorrect what they’re doing. I don’t like what they’re doing. I don’t like the $50 billion. I don’t like what they’re doing in terms of interest rates. And they’re not being accommodative at all. And I’m doing trade deals, and they’re great trade deals, but the Fed is not helping.

I had learned that negotiations should always be conducted professionally.  Never insult the person with whom you’re negotiating.  After all, I was told, you’ll want to settle most of the lawsuits in which you’re involved.  That means you must be able to pick up the phone and talk sensibly to opposing counsel.  You don’t want to ruin that relationship by insulting the other side.

Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

‘Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.’  Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat?” Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!

I had learned that negotiations should be conducted in private.  That ensures that both you and your counterparty can retreat from positions without being forced to admit publicly that you’ve given ground.

Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into…  their country (the U.S. doesn’t tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don’t think so!

I had learned that you should try to leave a job on good terms.  Whether you’re firing someone or quitting, be nice.  You never know where life will lead; don’t make enemies unnecessarily.

Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

Wacky Omarosa, who got fired 3 times on the Apprentice, now got fired for the last time. She never made it, never will. She begged me for a job, tears in her eyes, I said Ok. People in the White House hated her. She was vicious, but not smart. 

Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn’t have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at State!

I had learned that you always argue the merits of a dispute; never attack the other side’s motives.  The other side’s motives are, of course, irrelevant.  If the other side’s arguments are correct, then you should lose.  If the other side’s arguments are incorrect, then you should win.  It doesn’t matter why the other side is making an argument.

Donald Trump corrected my misperception.

Robert Mueller and Leakin’ Lyin’ James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest. And bye the way, wasn’t the woman in charge of prosecuting Jerome Corsi (who I do not know) in charge of “legal” at the corrupt Clinton Foundation? A total Witch Hunt…….Will Robert Mueller’s big time conflicts of interest be listed at the top of his Republicans only Report. Will Andrew Weissman’s horrible and vicious prosecutorial past be listed in the Report.

Finally, I looked to the President for help with my writing style.  I had often been told that good writers rarely need to add emphasis.  If you compose a sentence correctly, the sentence will naturally stress the word that requires emphasis; you won’t have to underscore or capitalize that word.  Similarly, there’s almost no use for exclamation points.  If a sentence is composed correctly, the sentence will emphasize itself.

SAD!

Mark Herrmann spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and is now deputy general counsel at a large international company. He is the author of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law and Inside Straight: Advice About Lawyering, In-House And Out, That Only The Internet Could Provide (affiliate links). You can reach him by email at inhouse@abovethelaw.com.

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