Donald Trump and his colleagues from the hit TV show “The Apprentice” shared their views on leadership at a sold-out AMA Current Issues Forum on “Lessons Learned from ‘The Apprentice'” on Friday, September 17 at AMA's New York Executive Conference Center.

Asked about what makes a great leader, Trump, Executive Producer and host of “The Apprentice” and a well-known real estate developer and author, told the audience that personality is less a factor than many believe. “I've known numerous people who are laid back outside and dynamic individuals within—the “strong silent type.'” As an example, Trump mentioned Vince Lombardi. “Over the years,” he said, “there have been coaches who have been more brutal than Lombardi and didn't win. Lombardi won. Winning is everything.”

Trump went on to compare leaders to athletes. “Great athletes are born, not made. The same is true of great leaders,” he said. However, Trump also believes that leadership skills can be fine-tuned.

Edward T. Reilly, AMA President and CEO and a fellow panelist, added his perspective: “There are some charismatic leaders who are born, but there are many more good managers who can become great leaders and great managers through training.” Reilly noted that “the demand for leadership is greater than ever before, a demand not only for strong leadership skills at the top but for such skills, ability and knowledge throughout the organization.”

Trump and Reilly were joined on the “The Apprentice” panel by Trump's two on-camera advisors, Carolyn Kepcher, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, and George H. Ross, Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel to The Trump Organization. Also on hand were two contestants from the show, both of whom had been fired in the familiar-to-viewers boardroom: Rob and Bradford. Jim Vidakovich, executive coach and AMA seminar leader, facilitated the panel discussion.

The panel covered a range of business topics, including the importance of persistence in making it to the top. Kepcher, for instance, referred to her “stubbornness” to succeed when she first went to work with Trump. Three times she applied to run Trump‘s golf enterprises and three times he chose a man. None succeeded. "Finally I got "smart," Trump admitted—"and hired Carolyn. She turned a million dollar loss into a half million-dollar profit”.

Panelists also agreed that money has become less a motivator, replaced in importance with job satisfaction and challenge. George Ross advised the audience, “If you aren't in a job you like, get out.”

Another issue of agreement was the need for a coach or mentor, “someone in the trenches able to train you,” as Ross said. Kepcher compared herself to a sponge early in her career, eager for the advice she was given from her then boss and mentor. Reilly observed, “Mentoring can be remarkably rewarding, both for the mentors and mentees.” Ross said, “When you reach a certain point in your career, giving others the benefit of your experience is great. It enables you to give back.”

Questions to the panelists also concerned recent shows of “The Apprentice.”

Asked what he could have done differently not to be fired, Rob said he felt he could have been truer to himself, more vocal in his team's brainstorming session and in the boardroom. As for Trump's decision to fire Bradford due to Bradford's decision to give up his exemption, Bradford said, “I'm a risk taker—that's all.” Trump said that he saw the action as “a fatal mistake—an error that was of far greater magnitude than any mistake made by team members that night.” (For insights on how to make sound business decisions, click here)

Trump was asked by one participant if show ratings affected boardroom decisions. Trump said no. “We are concerned about the credibility of the sessions. I could have kept Sam and Omarossa [popular contestants from the first season] for a few more shows, but I fired them when I felt that there was cause. I don't think about the ratings but rather about the honesty in the decisions made.” According to Trump, “The Apprentice” “reflects real business life and me in real life.”

What does Trump look for in an “apprentice”? Kepcher said that the ideal contestant is someone who is adaptable, with the full package of leadership and management competencies, and also very true to himself or herself. Ross believes that Trump looks for “agility in a candidate so he or she can handle any situation, someone who expresses his or her own viewpoint, and doesn't hide under the radar. The winner also needs to know Trump well enough to understand what motivates his decisions in the boardroom.”

Kepcher and Ross noted that Trump does ask their advice because they are with the teams, but they agreed, “Donald makes the ultimate decisions. He's a good judge of character,” Kepcher said.

AMA CEO Edward T. Reilly explained to the audience AMA's own involvement in “The Apprentice”: “While there is much theatricality associated with the program, AMA recognized that there were also leadership and management lessons that could be learned from consideration of each program.” AMA prepares an analysis of lessons learned from each episode and shares these lessons on its Website and that of NBC and also in the press. Click here to access all weekly analyses.