A newspaper article last week caught my attention. It was no big deal really in the context of news — just a motivational speech on leadership at a small-town civic club. But, it got me to thinking. And it’s a shame that leadership — or lack thereof — is not more of a concern. Stephone Avery spoke Jan. 9 to the Camden Noon Lions Club and his speech was covered by Bradly Gill of the Camden News. Avery based his message on John C. Maxwell’s course on the Invaluable Laws of Growth.
The first law introduced was the “law of mirror,” which Avery said occurs when people take on the attitudes of leaders, good or bad.
“People do what they see,” Avery said. “The law of the mirror is this: Whatever you do as a leader, your people are an outshoot or an expression of who you are. So whatever you do, the mirror shows who they are.”
The second was the law of trade off. “You have to give up something to get something,” Avery said. The last law was the law of expansion. “The thing you focus on the most, it grows,” Avery said. “So leadership is like this, everything rises and falls on leadership. Leaders set the tone.”
Yes, leaders set the tone and they are a reflection of the people they represent and vice versa — especially elected leaders. Think about it — and think about how leaders from President Donald Trump on down are behaving.
Both Democrats and Republicans are engaged in name-calling, using expletives or inappropriate language in a professional environment and finger-pointing. All of this is playing out daily on the news and social media platforms. Their behavior, unfortunately, is mirrored and by supporters one way or the other.
It’s pathetic. My jaw dropped a couple weeks ago when Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat just sworn in for her first term, used an expletive in connection with the prospect of impeaching President Trump.
I thought the expletive was inappropriate, but that’s not why my jaw dropped. My jaw dropped because people who elected Trump, who hurls insults daily and has boasted about grabbing women by the genitals, criticized Tiaib for her potty mouth. And not to be outdone, people who oppose Trump and criticize him for his hateful screeds and poor display of statesmanship, actually took up for Tiaib and justified her behavior because of Trump’s.
And Congress opened after the holidays with the people we’ve elected to run the government unable to agree enough on issues to reopen the government it serves. There was a time when people would point out wrong and it was unacceptable — not point out wrong in someone else and condone it in others. Look at what is happening in this country and reflect on Avery’s words:
“People do what they see. The law of the mirror is this: Whatever you do as a leader, your people are an outshoot or an expression of who you are. So whatever you do, the mirror shows who they are.”
Hello mirror. Quite frankly, there aren’t many national political leaders from either major party that I want to see reflected in my mirror right now.
Shea Wilson is the former managing editor of the El Dorado News-Times. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter.com @sheawilson7.