Mark Cuban says this is Trump's biggest leadership mistake

Updated

President Donald Trump is doing a few things right--especially bolstering a strong economy--said Shark Tank star, investor and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in an interview yesterday on CNN.

But Trump has "No leadership skills. No management skills. Not very good communication skills," says Cuban.

More From Inc.com: The Top 10 Global Startup Hubs of 2017

And it's that third area--lack of communication skills--that's preventing Trump from being a more effective leader, according to Cuban.

But aren't communication skills something that Trump prides himself on? asked CNN's Jake Tapper in the interview. After all, Tapper said, "He was able to communicate with enough voters in enough states to become president."

"Rallying the crowd . . . and managing and leading people are obviously two different things," maintains Cuban.

He cites two areas where Trump's communication skills are falling short:

  1. Going deep on key issues. It's essential for leaders to have a thorough understanding of essential issues so they can communicate them effectively. But the President seems to be operating only at on a "topline" and "superficial" level, says Cuban.

  2. Giving team members a forum for resolving conflicts. "You've got to sit down and where people disagree with you, you've got to say, 'Look, there's going to be issues, but let's discuss this. We'll communicate so that you don't have to communicate with the public. If you have a problem, have that problem with me, and tell me, and let's resolve it.' That's not what he's done. When you don't communicate and you kind of cocoon yourself, that's where you get leak issues."

What should the President--and any leader--do differently? Based on my experience coaching leaders at major organizations, Trump should spend less time making speeches and more time working closely with his team.

High-performing CEOs know that they're only as effective as the weakest member of their leadership team. So, especially at the beginning, they invest in bringing team members together and collaborating on strategies, so they reach a consensus on how to move forward.

Just as importantly, strong leaders come to an agreement on key issues so that they publicly support the plan. The objective is to communicate consistently so there are no "leaks" that cause constituents to question whether leaders are working together toward the same goals.

President Trump has spent time this week paying tribute to President Andrew Jackson. But perhaps he should heed the words of a different past leader--founding father Benjamin Franklin--who famously said, "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."

RELATED: Timeline of President Trump and Mark Cuban's Twitter fight

More on Inc.com:
Are You Missing an Important and Effective Way to Reach Employees?
The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make About Employees
Why Fake News Is Undermining Trust in Your Leadership

Advertisement