Donald Trump, who served as the 45th President of the United States, was inaugurated as the 47th President on January 20, 2025. Following Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd and 24th president, Trump became the second U.S. president to hold nonconsecutive terms.
Countless controversies surround Trump, making it difficult to discern where facts end and falsehoods begin. Even setting aside the many civil lawsuits still in progress, he is currently facing four criminal cases. Trump may have become president once, but by all accounts, he seemed to carry far too many insurmountable obstacles ever to ascend to the presidency again. And yet, the fact that he was elected the 47th president of the United States by an overwhelming margin is not only surprising but also puzzling.
One of the most important elements in attaining power is the will to power. No matter how difficult the circumstances, Trump never gave up; he pursued his will to power with relentless tenacity. Ultimately, he overcame every obstacle and achieved his goal. This kind of persistence is an essential leadership quality for anyone who succeeds.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth, in her bestseller Grit, argues that the core elements of success are not intelligence or talent, but passion and perseverance. Among those who have achieved excellence, no one has not experienced failure and setbacks. Yet those who reach the top share one common trait: amid countless disappointments, they never give up and relentlessly pursue their goals. It is well known that Thomas Edison, undeterred by more than 1,000 failed experiments, continued his research and testing until he eventually invented the light bulb.
The foundation of such tenacity is strong mental fortitude. Those with what is commonly called a “weak mentality” cannot withstand repeated failure and rejection. If political leaders such as Park Chung-hee, Kim Young-sam, and Kim Dae-jung, or business leaders like Chung Ju-yung, Lee Byung-chul, and Kim Woo-jung, had possessed fragile minds, we would not even know their names today. One can only imagine the mental strength of Martin Luther, who dared to challenge the pope—the most powerful authority of his time—and ignite the Reformation. The saying “Tough leaders make organizations succeed” is a timeless truth. Some leaders are tough and formidable both outwardly and inwardly. Others may appear gentle on the outside but are steely within. Whether the former or the latter, a leader’s inner world must be driven by convictions and tenacity that leave no room for compromise or surrender.
One cannot become a leader with a weak heart that seeks to avoid conflict. If maintaining face is your priority, you should step down from leadership. Leadership is never for the fainthearted. My mentor always ends his texts or emails to me with these words:
“David, persist”—David, no matter what difficulties arise, keep pressing on relentlessly.