Paradox of protection: Why strong leaders need 'red folders'

In the political realm, there is often a fascination with the idea of a "strong man", a leader who can cut through complicated rules to bring order to our democracy. For such a leader, dealing with an enemy is often the easier task. A powerful president usually knows exactly what to do when attacked from the outside. If an opposition party criticizes a policy, the leader can push them aside. If the media reports negative news, the leader’s team has tools to pressure them. If foreign powers try to interfere, the leader can effectively use nationalism to bring the people together.

However, history suggests a surprising lesson: the greatest danger to a strong leader may not be the enemy they fight in public. Instead, it might be the silence inside the palace. While they can manage attacks from the outside, they are often defenseless against a loyal aide who is afraid to deliver bad news.

This dynamic could create what we might call the "paradox of protection”.

The more a staff tries to shield the president from stress and criticism, the more they might increase the risk of failure. By building a wall to keep the leader happy, they effectively block him from seeing reality. Ultimately, a president may stop making decisions based on the real world and begin to govern based on a fantasy created by his staff.