[October 7, 2018] In my long-running series on leader trends, I’ve tried to lay out what I see as troubling patterns in leadership. It’s usually something that has happened that sparks my interest and that is what motivated me today. The recent U.S. Supreme Court confirmation process has convinced me that our national leaders are actually pushing hate and envy as acceptable behavior.1
This leader trend has been growing since the 1960s and runs counter to American core values. Since America provides valuable leadership worldwide, the very idea of spreading hate and envy would appear to be antithetical to both our tradition and the fundamentals of great leadership.
“Moreover, these disturbances of the mind, like plants, must be nourished and augmented by the same roots from which they spring; therefore hatred increases as the persons hated grow worse, while envy swells bigger as the envied rise higher in the true braveries of virtue.” from Plutarch’s Moralia
On my Twitter account yesterday I posted an article that discusses the confirmation process that may leave “lasting scars”2 … directly attributable to our senior-most political leaders. The divisiveness that saw new levels during the Obama presidency, has taken on something sinister. Violent acts and political leader encouragement of violence has been adopted as a legitimate tactic to shut down public discussion and unpopular political ideas.
The true test of great leadership is bringing people together, not dividing them up into tribes and arbitrary social constructs. Great leadership means rejecting hate and envy, as well as the predictable outcome of these emotions expressed in violent behavior. Civil discussion at the political level no longer takes on an air of professionalism but that of a bar fight.
Let’s hope our political leaders get their heads straight and get down to the business of running the country for the good of all and not for their favored interest groups. Hate and envy are not what we should be encouraging for any reason.
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- You can see Justice Kavanaugh’s reaction to the unsubstantiated accusations here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7etBfNArkcU If we were to look at the protestors and many of the sitting U.S. Senators we would clearly see the unrestrained emotions of hate and envy.
- https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/Kavanaugh-battle-only-magnified-nation-s-13286761.php?utm_campaign=twitter-desktop&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social
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- Are We Babysitters? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-are-we-babysitters/
- Are We Crude Leaders? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-are-we-crude-leaders/
- Do We Encourage Treason? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-encourage-treason/
- Do We Encourage Overreacting? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-encourage-overreacting/
- Are We Reliable? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-reliable/
- Can We Recognize Problems? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-can-recognize-problems/
- Do We Lead by Example? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-lead-example/
- Do We Accumulate Bad Habits? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-accumulate-bad-habits/
- Do We Encourage Irresponsibility? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-encourage-irresponsibility/
- Are We Narcissists? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-trends-are-we-narcissists/
- Are We Liars? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/are-we-liars/
- Do We Discourage Education? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-discourage-education/
- Are We Too Pampered? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-are-we-too-pampered/
- Are We Quitters? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-are-we-quitters/
- Do We Promote Divisiveness? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-promote-divisiveness/
- Do We Encourage Lying? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-encourage-lying/
- Do We Promote Ignorance? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-promote-ignorance/
- Do We Promote Teamwork? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-promote-teamwork/
- Are We Adaptable? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-are-we-adaptable/
- Are We Angry? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-are-we-angry/
- Do We Treat People Fairly? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-treat-people-fairly/
- Are We Corrupt? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-corrupt/
- Is Our Sense of Duty Slipping?- https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-sense-duty-slipping/
- Do We Excuse Failure? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-do-we-excuse-failure/
- Can We Mentor? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-can-we-mentor/
- Do We Promote Respect? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-promote-disrespect/
- Are We Cowards? – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leader-trends-cowards/
Reader of your blog a long time but first time to comment. Thanks for this leadership failure series on how leaders encourage traits that run counter to our core values and culture. Keep up this series, I’ve found it a great read.
Welcome to the comment section Big Al.
Here is someone in a “letter to the editor” trying to get everyone on the same track to stop the hate and envy. I think that the article was excellent and recommend it to all readers here. Try to understand that the idea is not necessarily to love your enemy but to use reason and logic to outwit them.
“We must work to remove the fear, mistrust, hate and envy (Part 1)”
https://guyanatimesgy.com/we-must-work-to-remove-the-fear-mistrust-hate-and-envy-part-1/
The strategy for want-to-be tyrants is to demonize people whose power they want to usurp. That’s the typical way tyrants gain power.
… and the use of violence or any method to achieve their goals. Sounds like a real Marxist these people are.
Excellent point, Shawn. Thanks.
Stay away from the demons of hate and envy. Oops, someone already said that. http://www.solitaryroad.com/a1000.html
Another article that reinforces what you have said here, Gen. Satterfield.
The Politics of Hate and Envy: Why the left demonizes CEOs but not much richer professional athletes and actors.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/217444/politics-hate-and-envy-walter-williams
A very appropriate quote: “To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves” ~ Will Durant
Good Christian site that speaks to this very issue:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/7-important-scriptures-about-jealousy-and-envy-126111/
My dad is now reading your website. I told him it would be a good idea. Cheers from Australia!!
Nicely put. This is what happens when a country based on Christianity strays away from basic values.
🙂
Socialism and communism are based on hate and envy. This should tell you something. Thanks, Darryl, great post.
I really like your series. Keep up the resistance to evil and bad leadership.
Great article today that really hits home. We have allowed our senior leaders to go off the deep end because we only care about ourselves. How pathetic.
I live in New York City and let me tell you the hate and envy that our politicians are pushing on us is truly saddening. That is how they get people motivated to vote for them. In reality, they don’t care about us at all. I’m getting out of NYC as soon as I can. The taxes are high, the customer service in govt is horrible, and the politicians are out for themselves.
I live in Minneapolis and our politicians are crazy here too. Once a great city; now a hole for welfare and illegal immigrants.
Great comment, Scotty. I wonder what others are doing now that we see what happened with Justice Kavanaugh?
Your “long-running series” is indeed helpful. I know you design your articles for a quick read but I have found it invaluable to go back and re-read the entire series. Put into that context is helping me be a better person.
Good point and I’ll be doing that today on my day off. Sitting here thinking that I should be doing it too.
Me too. Loving it.
Great series on what being a failed leader is about!