Takeaways from Trump’s stunning victory

The US elections has come and gone and history has now been made of which we are all witnesses. Donald Trump, billionaire businessman, few hours ago, was voted the 45th President of the United States of America, the first person to be so elected without having been voted into any prior political office or held any previous political appointment. But what are the takeaways? As Nigerians, what lessons can we learn from Trump’s stunning and truly amazing victory?

A lot!

One, the world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.  We see the fulfilment of this truism in Trump’s triumph over Hillary Clinton whose thorough preparation to become US President, and ambition to make history as the first female to do so, was undeniable. Trump, more than anyone else, knew his mission, pursued it and the world now has no choice than to acknowledge his cataclysmic victory.

For instance, while most people didn’t give him any chance from the beginning, he set his face like a flint looking at the great task ahead of him. He won the Republican nomination for the election despite competing with more politically-known names like Jeb Bush and other contestants that included popular neurosurgeon and best-selling author, Ben Carson. Of course, that didn’t just happen. It was meticulously planned, painstakingly strategised and effectively delivered. And in spite of the careless talks and allegations of molesting women that characterised his campaign, he had his plans all worked out. He knew he could do it, went for it and accomplished it.

Two, Trump taught us, again, that no one should ever give up on his or her dream no matter the obstacles or challenges on the way.

Or which other candidate was so maligned and written off by politicians, media institutions, public affairs analysts and columnists in the US and even here in Nigeria like Trump? Yet, he stayed on his message and ensured that his base, the people who support him and bought into his message, were solidly behind him. Trump said the election would be a Brexit. He was correct.

Without doubts, we are in a changing world where myths are being shattered, long-held assumptions are being debunked, obstacles and stumbling blocks are being rolled away and blasted off, while walls are being broken down even though Trump has said he wants to build a wall. Our young people must believe they can become whatever they want to be and nothing is absolutely impossible. In winning the US Presidential election, Trump simply reconfirms this.

Three, whoever you are, understand what the people or your clients or your market want and give it to them in the best way you can. Trump basically won the electorate and the silent majority over with his stance and positions on terrorism, immigration and trade. He could relate to their thinking, fears, anxieties and concerns far more than the political class, the Republican and Democratic establishment, pollsters and the media. He understood the yearnings of the people, voiced out their opinions and promised to take action on these issues.

Four, leaders must start listening to their people as the people are the ones who ultimately determine their fates. And because people are unpredictable, leaders must continuously seek for ways to understand what it is that their followers yearn for. We live in a constantly changing world. This is a fact we must not miss.

And five, no matter how long an order lasts, change is inevitable. Most Americans believed the political elite in Washington and their counterparts on Wall Street have been pursuing their own interests for far too long to the detriment of the interests of the majority of Americans or the country as a whole. Trump latched on to this momentum to cause a fundamental and indeed cataclysmic change in American politics. Trump’s stunning win is as much a loss to President Barack Obama as it is to Secretary Hillary.

Meanwhile, looking at the upset Trump just caused, I think he is far smarter than he is being acknowledged for. While I believe some of his utterances during the campaigns were really divisive, worrisome, scandalous and dangerous, and those who are alarmed at the possibility and now reality of his Presidency had every reason to shudder, however, I think the US system has enough checks and balances to tame any President who wants to go abullying and cause chaos in the system.

Let me also add that for a man like Trump to be publicly commended by a tough opponent like Hillary during their last Presidential debate in October for the type of wonderful children he trained and groomed, I think there’s really more that is admirable in Trump than the world would want to admit or credit him for. Americans wanted change. Hillary was not able to articulate how she would bring that change to the country despite being seen as the establishment candidate. Trump did that successfully. I expect him to also be a successful President.

Now, whoever you are that is reading this, I have a simple message for you wherever you’re based. If you dare to dream, believe it and pursue it. You can become whatever you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do. You can achieve whatever you want to achieve. Just be ready to pay the price. No matter the odds against you, keep pushing on and continue pressing forward. If you can think it, you can build it. If you can imagine it, you can accomplish it. If you can conceive it, you can deliver it. That is what Trump taught us all over again. We are simply our own limitations. And why should we limit ourselves as individuals when we know the world is waiting to celebrate us and be stunned by our stories?

Meanwhile, Trump has pledged in his victory speech to be President for all Americans in his mission to make America great again. That is the minimum expectation after a hard-fought campaign. The word now waits to see how far he can go in fulfilling his campaign promises when he is sworn in on January 20, 2017, and his Presidency effectively begins.

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