Headline: “Kirstjen Nielsen Out as Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary”
[Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.]
I’m not exactly sitting by my phone, waiting for the call.
But if President Trump offered me a Cabinet post (or some other plum assignment), I know what’d I’d say: “No, thanks!”
That’s because Trump’s m.o. by now is crystal clear: any successes are his, and his alone.
Surprise, surprise, the failures are all other people’s fault.
Must be great for morale. Not.
Contrast that approach with the management style of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett:
“For good reason, I regularly extol the accomplishments of our operating managers. They are truly All-Stars who run their businesses as if they were the only asset owned by their families. I also believe the mindset of our managers to be as shareholder-oriented as can be found in the universe of large publicly-owned companies. Most of our managers have no financial need to work. The joy of hitting business “home runs” means as much to them as their paycheck.”
—2016 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter, p. 28 (2/25/2017).
Slight difference, huh??
P.S.: I would also decline to be Trump’s Realtor — it’s hard to imagine getting paid in full, or on a timely basis. Plus, the inevitable legal fees to collect my commission and/or defend myself, months or years later, would almost surely be a multiple of any compensation I received.
