Psychology Today reported its top list of manipulative behaviors that bad leaders employ. These are the dirty manipulations that bad bosses use to make your life hell. These are the same actions that Donald Trump has been practicing.
1. Group Bias
Some bosses use the old “In-Group/Out-Group” trick.
This trick involves putting people against each other. This is when people start saying things like “We’re right, they’re wrong.” This is the basic logic used to justify prejudice. We all know Donald Trump has done plenty of that.
He’s been doing that throughout his campaign. We have a handy list of groups he has alienated. The list is from last year, but he’s done plenty to alienate all of these groups. Starting with calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the country, he has pretty much alienated every minority out there.
He says the most disgusting things about women. He once body shamed one of his former Apprentice contestants. Of course, this is the same guy that talked about his man parts in a presidential debate. He also thinks women getting abortions should be punished.
2. Demanding Authority
This is expecting someone to have complete loyal obedience to you.
This is the argument called “Because I said so.” This is used when your boss wants you to do anything and everything that he wants you to do, without fail and without questions. They demand absolute obedience. Trump has been caught trying to make his followers swear an oath to him at some rallies.
Abe Foxman, a reporter with The Times of Israel, said:
“It is a fascist gesture [and] about as offensive, obnoxious and disgusting as anything I thought I would ever witness in the United States of America.”
He also said:
“He is smart enough — he always tells us how smart he is — to know the images that this evokes. Instead of asking his audience to pledge allegiance to the United States of America, which in itself would be a little bizarre, he’s asking them to swear allegiance to him.”
Don’t believe it? See for yourself:
Donald Trump makes members of his Orlando crowd raise their right hands and swear to vote in the primary. pic.twitter.com/EVenRilJrV
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) March 5, 2016
The Psychology Today article said:
“It is the harder path—but the path of the good leader—to allow followers to question their authority when warranted. A leader who does not consult with followers or allow any sharing of power, but instead demands unquestioning loyalty, is not only a bad leader, but one who will likely be ineffective in the long run.”
3. Making Exceptions
He believes that he is above the law.
These authoritarian leaders may lay down the law with strict rules; however, they make plenty of exceptions when it is convenient for them. They also think that they are above the rules. Donald Trump once said that he could shoot someone on the street, and he wouldn’t lose a single vote.
In March, he announced that his Middle Eastern business partners would be exempt from the Muslim ban. Yes, he wants to keep Muslims from entering the country unless they are there to give him money.
4. Unrealistic Exchanges
He offers more than he can give.
Many power-hungry leaders make huge promises that they can’t keep. This is popular with religious cult leaders, but Trump does it, too.
Trump wants to bring back torture. He wants to bring back waterboarding and “worse methods.” Experts in the field have declared that torture doesn’t work, but Trump doesn’t seem to care about that.
He has been talking about the border wall since the beginning of his campaign. He couldn’t even get a wall built at his resort in Ireland.
Here is a video talking about Donald Trump’s persuasion tactics:
Featured image screengrab from video.
