What explains the shocking popularity of Donald Trump's reality series The Apprentice? There are a number of possible reasons. It certainly could be our endless curiosity about the lives of the rich and famous. This can also be explained by our current interest in fixing the Aquarian drama by observing real-life struggles, humiliations, and victories. Perhaps it's a chance to witness, from a safe distance, the frightening and perhaps familiar horror of being fired from a desirable position. These are reasonable answers, however there seems to be much more to it than that. The hugely successful show, The Apprentice, hit on something big. It responds to an ongoing and unresolved fascination with the mysterious, complex and universally significant phenomenon called LEADERSHIP. A stroll through the business section of any major bookstore and you will find dozens of titles that include the word “leadership.” A quick Internet search for “leadership” yields over 19 million results. The classic big name leaders throughout history, Lincoln, Thatcher, King, Welsch, frame a story within which we all play a role, influencing each of us. Each of us has had some sort of deeply personal experience of leadership, positive or negative, whether as followers or as leaders ourselves. Donald Trump can be appreciated for his astute business sense and ability to, at various points in his career, make it big. By co-creating this reality show with Mark Burnett, he not only capitalized on the public's desire to fantasize (and for a precious few, compete) to achieve a high-profile, financially lucrative career as a business mogul, but it also led to the mainstream audience a heated, exciting and thought-provoking debate about something we all seem to have an opinion about: what it takes to be a great leader. Seven Leadership Lessons Courtesy of THE DONALD: A How-To Guide to Great Leadership LESSON #1The leader is in complete control, takes charge of everything, and holds the key to success. According to Donald Trump, leadership is all about control and power. Trump's words, as well as his actions, throughout the series indicate that he lives what we call the "Great Man theory" of leadership. Interrupts, commands, directs, instills fear, controls and makes all decisions. He has "advisers" who play the role and gives them a brief opportunity to speak, but they rarely disagree. We saw this with both of his weekly side kicks.