By Comfort Barida
On November 9th, 2016, Donald Trump was declared winner in the United States Presidential election after defeating Hillary Clinton in a hotly contested and most bitter election. Due to the overwhelming predictions of a comfortable victory and several celebrity endorsements for Hillary Clinton, the prospect of a Donald Trump victory was very unimaginable for many people. Apart from the people who were in his camp, almost no self-respecting person, organisation and the media gave the billionaire businessman a chance. Trump was labelled a racist, misogynist, egoistic, anti-Muslim, etc. but despite all these, he still prevailed.
Here are 8 lessons to learn from his surprising victory.
- It is not about the quality of your resume
The elections were seen to be a competition between a highly qualified and experienced politician Hillary Clinton who had been a First Lady of the United States, a Senator and Secretary of State and a less qualified Donald Trump who was making his first foray into politics. Nobody gave him a chance.
- Don’t get too comfortable, Polls might get it wrong
Hillary Clinton and her team probably got comfortable because she had a higher probability than Donald trump of becoming the next United States President according to all the online predictions and polls. People’s opinion don’t always matter. Life is full of surprises.
- Never underestimate anybody
Donald trump was seen as a time-waster and underdog. A lot of people already wrote him off even before giving him a chance. Even President Barrack Obama was confident that Trump won’t be president and he said it on many occasions. In the end he won.
- Popularity doesn’t matter
Donald Trump was the less popular of the two candidates. He raised less money, aired fewer ads and had fewer field offices. Whereas Hillary Clinton was endorsed by so many influential people including the outgoing President Barrack Obama. The campaign seemed to suggest a durable advantage for Clinton.
- Stand for what you believe in always
It is quite obvious that a lot of Americans thought the exact same things Donald Trump thought of and were excited to have someone say it out for them. Standing for what you believe in would influence willing followership.
- Be enthusiastic
Donald Trump’s determination and stamina impressed the middle/lower class Americans especially the older ones that had no interest in social media and TV. His five speeches a day and the size of his crowd showed his interest in the particular subject. The power of word-of-mouth recommendations remains the most credible when marketing.
- Success’ principles are universal
Donald Trump is the very definition of the American success story having achieved so much in business, real estate and entertainment. Trump continues to set standards of excellence as he successfully extended his winning principles to politics. It is very important to adapt success in every area of life.
- You are never too old to follow a dream
Age is sometimes seen as a restriction to many but the truth is that as we grow older, our goals and dreams should really be attainable by virtue of our life experiences. At Seventy, Donald Trump will be the oldest person to assume the US presidency. He didn’t let his age stop him from pursuing his dreams.
Comfort Barida is a Legal Pratitioner and works in the editorial team of Financial Freedom
Email: info@financialfreedomng.com
