Mr. Trump was a disturbing pioneer of how to run and win while being utterly contemptuous of the complexities of politics. Having dismissed the political class as stupid “losers,” he promised that he alone would fix everything “very quickly” and oh-so-easily. Chaos was his creed. Statecraft was for suckers.

But what worked on the campaign trail can’t possibly work over the span of a presidency. The 2016 campaign, more than any before it, showed us how extraordinarily wide the gap between what it takes to win the presidency and what it takes to govern has become.

I realize that this all sounds hopelessly old-fashioned and out of step with our angry, cynical times. For many Americans, frustration with our political leaders, which is understandable, has transmuted into contempt for governing itself, which is dangerous — a trend that verges on a desperate kind of political nihilism.

But sometimes we learn the value of something by its absence. In the age of Trump, perhaps we will discover anew that there is an art not so much to the deal but to governing.

We might begin with this recognition: Governing requires a command of issues, a vision and the ability to translate the vision into legislative reality. Those who govern well think tactically and strategically. They know how to negotiate and compromise, when to dig in and when to relent, and how to adjust to unanticipated consequences.

Effective political leaders are able to mobilize public opinion on behalf of their agenda, surround themselves with wise advisers who will challenge them and ask hard questions. They’re organized. They pay attention to details. They avoid creating unnecessary distractions and they stay clear of scandals. They find ways to work with the opposition party and they see the pattern of events sooner than the rest of us. And they know themselves, including their own weaknesses.

Perhaps no president has possessed all of these qualities. But what sets Mr. Trump apart is that he possesses almost none of them. He places astonishing confidence in his instincts, in listening to his gut. This improvisational approach can work for a Rat Pack singer or a reality television star; it doesn’t work nearly as well for a president.

What troubles many of us who have devoted much of our lives to politics is that we have a president who doesn’t believe in the higher purpose of his office, which is grounded in the conviction that governing well can advance the human good. There are many things for which Mr. Trump will finally have to answer. My guess is that his daily denigration of politics and governing will be right near the top.