It is very easy to mock Donald Trump. It is relatively simple to ridicule a man who wears a hairpiece that looks like a Ruffles potato crisp. Donald Trump, after all, is a buffoon. This is a fact, no more disputable than the laws that govern our universe. Nevertheless, Donald Trump also happens to be a very rich buffoon. A very rich buffoon with what is ostensibly a tumbleweed glued to his scalp.
This begs the question, in a society obsessed with perception and appearances, how is it possible that a man with Donald Trump’s – we’ll call it hair – can be successful in business? Is there anything to learn from it? Here are 5 lessons you can glean from Donald Trump’s hair and the success he seemingly derives from it.
1. Be Unflappable
Donald Trump has probably heard it all. Every joke, every snicker. Yet he continues to wear a piece of roadkill on his head, despite all the detractors. Being stubborn to the point of obstinacy can be a virtue in business, and often forces adversaries to compromise to your position. Making a deal is often a game of chicken, and whether it’s legitimising conspiracy theories or acknowledging the stray cat on your head, Donald Trump is a man who refuses to budge.
2. Be Consistent
In business, building a brand requires consistency. Customers want to associate a name or a product with a particular image, experience, or feeling. While Donald Trump may have originally donned his signature bird’s nest in moment of blind insecurity, he now must be fully aware that it serves far greater comedic fodder than his naked pink scalp. However, as a public figure Trump knows the nest is now a part of him, one that he cannot part with without sacrificing his marketability. Donald Trump without the nest is not Donald Trump, every twig, leaf, and dead bird within a part of the Trump brand.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out
Sometimes something can be so bad, so singularly awful, that it forever kicks down the doors of your consciousness. A campy movie. A cheesy 80′s song. The smell of a corpse. The Donald’s toupee is like watching a campy 80′s movie in a theatre of dead people. Yet as the old sayings go, it’s better to be hated than forgotten. There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Some of the most effective business strategies centre around making a controversial pitch or shock advertising campaign.
4. Be Confident Even Without Cause
It’s easy for someone comely to be confident. It comes natural when the world treats you well and finds you attractive. It’s not as easy when the only thing covering your bare, bulbous cyst of a head is a used carpet sample from the local hardware store. The vagaries of life and business can put you at your worst when you need to be your best. A good businessman remains confident regardless of whether he deserves to be, and that confidence carries over to negotiations, meetings, and sales.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks
Donald Trump is not a fearful man, even when he should be. It doesn’t matter if the weather report is indicating heavy gales. The Donald will meet a gust of wind head-on even as his hair does the opposite. The courage to take risks in business is what separates the executives from the help. Say what you will about Donald Trump, but the guy is brave. If a man who staples chimpanzee fur to his skull can go outside and face a blustery wind amidst a horde of paparazzo, then that man can pretty much face anything.
The author of this article is Paul Rogers of PublicLiabilityInsurance.org. Paul is an expert in business insurance helping small business learn more about Public Liability Insurance.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay