The Rise and Fall of a Flawed Leader: The Little Drum Boy

Abstract

This article, presented in the form of a fairy tale, describes the rise and decline of a flawed leader—a person showing uncanny similarities to President Donald Trump. Taking into consideration contemporary literature on personality disorders as well as forays into developmental psychology, it explores the effects of dysfunctional family dynamics on character formation. It demonstrates how, in the case of political and business leaders, intra-personal issues can become externalized and presented in a disturbing way on a public scale—in short, how leaders use their character flaws to engage a population. Moreover, it shows how narcissistic, psychopathic and paranoid characteristics can serve these people well in catering to a population’s gullibility, negating rational decision-making processes. In addition, it sheds light on how these toxic leaders know how to captivate their audience in a way that prompts their followers to adopt a cult-like devotion. Attention is given to the question of a people’s “wish to believe”, fueled by the promises made by such demagogic leaders that can contribute to highly irrational choices. Insights are also provided on how these leaders hang on to their powerbase, along with an exploration of their journey towards self-destruction. As we all like to listen to fairy tales, “monsters” appear in this story, serving as a warning not to turn into “monsters” ourselves.