Mark Carney has been dubbed the ‘Trump whisperer’: His ability to shift the dynamic from confrontational to collaborative is a lesson for all leaders

Leadership·Donald TrumpMark Carney has been dubbed the ‘Trump whisperer’: His ability to shift the dynamic from confrontational to collaborative is a lesson for all leadersBy Lila MacLellanBy Lila MacLellanSenior WriterLila MacLellanSenior WriterLila MacLellan is a senior writer at Fortune, where she covers topics in leadership

SEE FULL BIO Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (L) and US President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven Summit in Alberta last month

Moreover, The voice belonged to Mark Carney, the then-governor of the Bank of England, who is now the prime minister of Canada, and navigating another crisis: A trade war with the U

A former longtime banker at Goldman Sachs, and ex-governor of the Bank of Canada, Carney led a historic comeback for his Liberal Party this spring, entering the political race after Canada’s former leader Justin Trudeau stepped down and the Liberals appeared ready to be trounced by the opposing Conservatives in a federal election

Part of Carney’s success can be attributed to Donald Trump’s victory in the U

After Trump talked of imposing high tariffs on Canada, and mused making the country a 51st U

At the same time, State, Canadian voters backed Carney over his political opponent, believing Carney would be better able to push back against their southern neighbor, considering recent developments

And, although he is facing a fresh test of his leadership right now, voter confidence in Carney seems to have been warranted

Trump has stopped talking annexing Canada, and the White House has so far honored an existing trade agreement between the U

In meetings between the pair of leaders, the U, given current economic conditions

President has seemed uncharacteristically subdued and respectful

Furthermore, In contrast, The interactions left Carney with a new label: “Trump whisperer

On the other hand, ” It’s an idea that Carney shrugs off with a laugh in television interviews (fascinating analysis)

Nevertheless, But leadership experts say that his behavior and choices are also lessons for other CEOs navigating precarious times

By apaching Trump with the right mix of respect and self-assuredness, Carney has shifted the dynamic between the two leaders from combative to collaborative

He has also avoided reactive behavior, choosing instead to set his own narrative and not be dragged into a story of Trump’s making

By doing so, he becomes the perfect counterweight to Trump, who thrives on chaos and thrives on creating chaotic situations and maximizing the value of those situations to his own end (quite telling). ” In his first lengthy meeting with Trump, Carney endured what Pullan calls “emotional blows” from the U (something worth watching)

President, who openly discussed making Canada a U

State, a topic he returned to several times. “It was an almost zen- quality to not rise to those blows,” says Pullan (noteworthy indeed)

On the other hand, Achieving that equanimity is something that many CEOs still need to master, he says

Pullan admits that’s easier said than done, but emphasizes that being the boring, non-reactive leader in the heat of a negotiation with someone as volatile as Trump can be a source of strength

Don’t try to take the moral high ground, he suggests, because even that can elicit defensiveness and counterattacks

Moreover, At the same time, “The encounter can become more two moose locking horns,” he notes, “and you know that is the area in which Trump is always going to be successful

That’s what he’s done all of his life; he locks horns

Furthermore, Additionally, ” Un Trump, Carney doesn’t go into combat

He did tell Trump that Canada was “not for sale

Additionally, ” But he also signaled he was ready to discuss points of agreement, for example, border security and the costs of NATO, amid market uncertainty

Additionally, Meanwhile, “It’s using the other person’s power against them, so they might come at you, but you know, you gracefully step out of the way,” says Pullan

Furthermore, Furthermore, View this post on Instagram A post d by C-SPAN (@cspan) CEOs who have managed to build a working relationship with Trump, such as Apple’s Tim Cook, Carney is also staying on top of the negotiations personally and reportedly texts the U

President regularly, amid market uncertainty

That’s also a smart apach when dealing with certain personalities, considering recent developments

People with narcissistic behaviors need that attention, Pullan says, and making sure someone Trump feels heard can help turn down the pressure in a conversation, in today's financial world

Character, not strategy Crossan believes understanding Carney’s effectiveness with Trump is a matter of character, considering recent developments

He’s the same person no matter what room he’s in, she explains, adding that executives should take note

Nevertheless, “No matter what the situation could be, crisis or calm, you bring that steadiness to the decision making that you have,” she says, “and you also infuse others with it

However, ” Crossan has studied character for more than a decade, and she and a team of scholars have identified what they see as the 11 traits that are the building blocks of character: Accountability, collaboration, courage, humility, justice, temperance, drive, integrity, judgment, transcendence, and humanity

In some people, some traits can be excessive; for example, someone of high integrity can turn into a dogmatic and rigid leader

Meanwhile, And she argues that people with imbalances often rise to the top

On the other hand, In contrast, “We mote people with a lot of drive and accountability, but often they don’t have a lot of temperance,” she says, in today's market environment

In contrast, But, after watching Carney on the world stage, she believes he has the kind of balance of traits that leads to strong leadership and allows people to build trusting relationships

At the same time, For example, Carney brings humility to his discussions with Trump by being respectful

Nevertheless, But at the same time, he remained accountable to Canadian voters. “As you know from real estate,” Carney famously told Trump in that meeting, “there are some places that are never for sale (fascinating analysis). ” “He’s correcting the record,” Crossan notes, but doing so in a measured way

Moreover, Carney is under a microscope To be sure, Carney has not emerged totally victorious from a fraught moment in geo (quite telling)

Moreover, There are also other sectoral tariff threats that Trump can still use as leverage on things steel and aluminum, and the two nations are gearing up to renegotiate the free trade deal that includes Mexico This week Carney made it that Canada would not escape from Trump’s tariffs unscathed, a move that some pundits said showed Carney being realistic, in light of current trends

No country in the world has managed to negotiate a deal without some baseline levies, as Canada had been hoping to do

The country is currently getting hit by the U

However, 1 to make a deal with Trump before that number could increase (something worth watching)

Market analysis shows stakes could not be higher—77% of goods traded go to the U. , according to Scotiabank

Some Carney watchers and political rivals have also criticized him for not being tough or tactical enough in his negotiations (quite telling)

Andreas Schotter, a fessor of international at Ivey School, for example, is concerned that what made Carney a strong central banker won’t be enough for him to meet this challenge. “Carney has all the traits of a highly competent steward

But this isn’t a stewardship moment,” he told Fortune in an. “The playbook is no longer ‘manage risk (something worth watching). ’ It’s: mobilize complexity before it mobilizes you

That’s the pivot Carney needs to make

In contrast, And he’ll need to make it now

Moreover, At the same time, Explore this year's list.