Calm leaders are able to let criticism wash over them. President Lincoln claimed to avoid reading personal attacks altogether. When he did encounter a particularly strong critique of his presidency, he would sit at his desk and compose a fiery refutation. After that, he would get up and walk away without sending it. That is not the Trump style. The president takes all criticism personally. He cannot imagine letting it go unanswered. Unlike Lincoln, he does not see temperance as a virtue. He hits “send.”
