Five Tips to Avoid Disrespectful Settings
Hang up on hate – dial up dignity.
Most of us were frustrated by the rhetoric and vilification of opponents during the 2024 election season. Many question whether it was necessary – yet finger-pointing about who started it grows old. No matter where you land on the political spectrum, spewing hate and name-calling have no place in a leader’s behavior.
You wouldn’t want to be seen by your neighbors getting arrested, handcuffed, and driven off in a police car.
Likewise, leaders should not be found in settings where there is a lack of respect for the inherent dignity of others. This means casual conversations, posts on social media, certain podcasts, and even sermons in church. Your presence or participation implies complicity.
Effective leaders disassociate themselves from people, places, and policies that demonize, blame, scapegoat, or put others down.
They avoid “otherizing” people as being less worthy. Each of us has inherent dignity and a well-developed identity we try to protect. When leaders associate with people who do not respect all human beings, the leaders lose the respect of many others and therefore credibility.
So, how do leaders avoid getting sucked into an environment where there must be winners and losers?
If you perceive a lack of respect for the dignity of others in a conversation, a social media post, or in the news…turn it off. Walk away, unfriend, change the channel, shut it down. Do more than disagree silently – don’t even give disrespect airtime.
Here are 5 tips for avoiding settings where people are not respected:
Associate with people who believe in the inherent dignity of others.
If you overhear a conversation disrespecting others, speak up or walk away.
Do not respond with hateful comments on social media and avoid those who do.
Avoid “piling on” and joining in the “blame game” to try to be popular or accepted.
Ensure the organizations that you support, and fund, promote dignity broadly.
To dial up dignity, the best leaders know how to hang up on hate.
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And that’s The Gist of It™ - Ideas to advance dignity, practice humility, and develop leaders of character and integrity.
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Marilyn Gist, PhD