I never thought I’d be quoting President Reagan, but it makes sense here given global political challenges. This is what blogs are for. 🙂

Here’s another opportunity for President Trump to leverage the Reagan approach in handling international matters. There’s a huge difference between winning in sports or business vs. winning in diplomacy. Running a business is a sport where winning matters. Winning is not the end goal in international diplomacy. Neither is trade. Peace is the goal. The perception of winning or overpowering an opponent is the wrong strategy when peaceful means haven’t been fully explored.

Sometimes a political stalemate is not a bad thing. The bad apples around the world offset each other. Doing nothing is better than taking a dangerous position.

There’s always a smoother way to communicate and resolve conflict. Impulsive decision-making is unsettling at any level. I like what political strategist David Gergen writes here. There is a different kind of selfishness Trump would benefit from — especially to manage his emotions. I’m not advocating that he skips weekend golf for a meditation course, but it could be worthwhile. It certainly worked for me.

President Trump and his advisors should rethink their means of diplomacy for the sake of the planet. Playing hardball will damage a delicate, interdependent world. It’s also rattling capital markets. A Trump makeover is very much needed.