The Tone and Words of Leaders Do Matter

It really doesn't matter where a leader is or who she or he leads. It could be an organization or a school or a company. It could be in a place far away or someplace right next store. Perhaps it's a team, a congregation or an army. The point is, that leaders are all around us and that different leaders may impact different aspects of our lives. They get to where they are through various means and routes including, education, training, experience, appointment, election and so forth. The fact of the matter is that someone has placed faith, and hopes and dreams in them.

Yes, leadership is a skill and the communication that a leader provides is part of the toolbox that they may use to get the job of leading done. Normally we would all agree that good, clear communication is a necessity for a good leader. Then we are confronted with the upside-down world of Donald Trump. His leadership in the cut throat environment of real estate development and property management has been based on division, dividing and conquering, insults and bullying. That's the world he has known and he relishes the fight. I say it's an upside-down world because there are other leaders in that world who see things differently than Trump and who use more traditional models of leadership.

But when Donald Trump won the election two years ago, many people thought he would make a transition to a more traditional method of leadership. Well so far that hasn't happened. Some people have been left scratching their heads and others are disgusted with what they hear and see from someone who is supposed to lead a country, a people and a world looking for direction and yes, leadership. Why they ask, is a President holding political campaign rallies instead of leading the country?

It seems like a silly conversation that we shouldn't really need to have but here we are. There are people defending a message of division, hate and disruption. After a week of domestic terror, where suspected explosive devices have been mailed throughout the country and throughout the mail stream to 15 individuals perceived as political enemies of Donald Trump, some hesitate to say Trump's tone is a problem. After a weekend of killing 11 members of a number of Jewish congregations, there are still those who defend a tone and message of nationalism and anti-immigrant language.

Tone does matter. Tone is how children learn from their parents. Tone is how people learn from relationships, Tone is how students learn from teachers. Sometimes leaders take on all of or a combination of those roles and the people who follow them listen. For a real leader to blame their tone on the tone of an opponent is childish and another sign of an immature leader - someone who just doesn't get the consequences of their own words or language.

I think hate speech is pretty clear. Hate speech is hate speech, is hate speech! And hate speech can kill people because people follow leaders. So this weekend 11 Jews were killed. Jews who were helping immigrants were killed. Donald Trump needs to be told over and over again that his tone, his words, his rallies, his encouragement of chants all matter. He needs to be told by his staff, by members of the GOP, by world leaders and by voters. He should be unifying a divided nation and helping people heal. He should be the first to pull people together in any tragedy. If he doesn't or won't, he has failed us all.