It’s a great way to see potential employees in action versus listen-
ing to how great they think they are.
One quality of leadership is knowing your subject. That also
extends itself to knowing people. It’s always a good idea to assume
the worst, because then you might be pleasantly surprised. I’ve
had some solid gold people and some real scoundrels, and some-
how it manages to balance out. But my expectations are realistic—
not every person is going to be a perfect match. And no matter how
much you want to trust people, you still have to be a little paranoid.
That sounds tough—and it is—but never expect everything
or everyone to be easy. To be blunt: We all have to watch out for
ourselves. That includes you, and that includes me. It’s best not to
trust people too much, because that’s just setting yourself up for
some nasty surprises. I graduated from college in 1968, so I’ve had
a fair share of experiences with people by now. If I were to tell
you they were all great experiences, I’d be lying. I’ve met the gamut
of personalities, and some of them had some disorders, to put it
nicely. These disorders don’t always surface quickly, so it’s best to
protect yourself from them to begin with. Be circumspect, if not
paranoid, with people.
I’ve had people who have worked for me for over twenty-five
or thirty years, so you may be wondering why I talk about being
paranoid. It’s another way of saying, “don’t take anything for
granted.” I don’t take my solid gold employees for granted because
they don’t take me for granted either. It’s a two-way street and it
works best that way. If you can aim for that, that’s the best way to
go. I have evidence that it can happen.
On the other hand, I’ve had some complete washouts, peo-
ple who managed to prove themselves to be not only incompe-
tent but untrustworthy. That’s the other side you have to expect
from time to time. To think it won’t happen to you is a big mis-
take. I have been taken by surprise by certain unexpected behav-
DONALD J. TRUMP