Many years ago, I found myself at a companywide all-hands meeting. The goal? To meet our new president—a guy brought in to stop the corporate bleeding. Revenues were down, morale was lower, and most of us were already fantasizing about greener pastures. Résumés had been quietly dusted off. People were halfway out the door. This meeting felt like our Hail Mary—a final shot at getting inspired before jumping ship.

(Sound familiar?)

The president walked in, looked us dead in the eye, and said, “I am only going to make one promise to you: the first thought I have every morning and the last thought I have at night will be how I can make this company better. And if you’re not ready to make the same commitment, this is not the place for you.” No vision boards. No jargon. Just commitment. He was all in. And he challenged us to be, too.

Shockingly, it worked. The dead weight quit, retired, or was shown the door. Those of us who stayed dug in, got it done, and turned the company around. We rebounded so hard we got bought out—for a premium.

That moment taught me something: the first thing any real leader needs is to be all in. Not for their ego. Not for their poll numbers. But for the people they lead. JFK understood this when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

These can’t just be slogans printed on mugs or shouted from a rally stage. A president has to show up—every day—with a clear purpose: make things better. The best guide I’ve found for that is Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. So let’s walk through them, and maybe we’ll get a clearer picture of what presidential leadership should look like—and why the former Reality Showman-in-Chief is crashing and burning.

1. Be Proactive

Take ownership. Don’t whine about circumstances. Harry Truman had a sign on his desk: “The buck stops here.” That meant something. He didn’t spend his presidency playing hot potato with blame. Contrast that with a certain someone who thinks every current problem is somehow still Obama’s fault. Pro tip: if you’re still blaming your predecessor four years in, maybe the problem is you.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Define your goals. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” was about fairness—for people, land, and consumers. Clear. Measurable. Impactful. Now compare that to “Make America Great Again,” which is less a plan and more a red hat slogan with nostalgia for a time that never really existed. It’s like saying your goal is “good vibes”—great on a bumper sticker, useless in a crisis.

3. Put First Things First

Prioritize what matters. FDR walked into office during the Great Depression and said, “Let’s get people fed, housed, and working.” He focused on relief, recovery, and reform. Today, we’ve got leaders laser-focused on crypto scams, private jets, and pardoning white-collar crooks. Meanwhile, the climate is collapsing, women’s rights are on the chopping block, and millions remain uninsured. But sure—let’s spend another week debating Hunter Biden’s laptop.

4. Think Win-Win

Create outcomes where everyone benefits. Ronald Reagan, of all people, nailed this with the 1986 Immigration Reform Act. He gave millions a path to legal status while tightening enforcement—a deal both sides could live with. Meanwhile, Trump killed a bipartisan border bill he actually agreed with—because God forbid Biden get a win before election season. That’s not strategy. That’s sabotage.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Jimmy Carter pulled off the Camp David Accords by listening—actually listening—to two bitter enemies. Trump, by contrast, doesn’t listen to anyone who didn’t pay for dinner at Mar-a-Lago. His idea of diplomacy is threatening world leaders on Twitter at 2 a.m. after watching cable news. Understanding? Not his love language.

6. Synergize

Leverage people’s strengths to build better outcomes. Joe Biden’s CHIPS Act is synergy in action—business leaders, unions, Republicans, and Democrats coming together to bring semiconductor manufacturing home. Trump’s version of collaboration is bringing in yes-men, then firing them on social media the minute they disagree. It’s not synergy when you’re the only one talking.

7. Sharpen the Saw

Renew yourself—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Teddy Roosevelt read a book a day, built the Panama Canal, busted monopolies, and still found time to hike mountains. Trump reads memes. Carter taught Sunday school. Obama worked out daily. Reagan chopped wood. Trump rides in a golf cart and lives off Big Macs like a teenager whose mom’s out of town. He doesn’t sharpen the saw—he breaks it and blames the forest.

We need a president who leads from the front. Who listens. Who learns. Who gets results without turning every decision into a loyalty test. Trump scores zero on that front. The real question is: what are we doing—every day—to find a leader who scores at least an eight?

Because honestly, we deserve better than a guy who thinks running the country is just another season of The Apprentice.