Truth Over Grift
Some people may be seduced into thinking truth does not matter, so let’s gut check this topic for minute, for the sake of our collective mental health and success.
First, there are fundamentals that foster healthy human and societal interactions, generating healthy hopeful futures.
Positively impactful leaders are teachers, generous givers, investors, collaborators, problem solvers, and serve others by pouring their efforts into life giving community. That is the picture of leadership success for the benefit of all of us, drawing on the best of us.
Second, in the face of the days that “good” leadership is portrayed as narcissistic, confusion creating, self-serving, in love with its own voice, and a generator for divisiveness over wholeness, remember you don’t have to take the bait. You don’t have to fall victim to the grift.
This grift often shows up as a leader who fabricates root causes for given or fake concerns and intentionally generates anxiety. They present solutions but these solutions are actually problem amplifiers. The grift is based on inverting the reality to manipulate others and imbue power to them. The “solutions” are destruction in disguise and intentionally create confusion bonding “followers” to the leader promising they can fix it all, if you just give over control to them.
What to do?
Start with being broadly informed in order to be insightful.
No singular sources of information and ensure your sources are not opinion and media oriented, explicitly designed to generate money via your attention.
Be on your guard for fake and false presentations.
Shine light on any deceit with confidence.
False leaders eventually fail, and the slippery con will be ultimately exposed when misrepresentations fall away, and true agendas are exposed.
In order to limit the damage and trauma that is left in the wake behind toxic leadership, buffer and protect those that are vulnerable. Follow up with caring deeply for others in community through all forms of advocacy. Action absorbs anxiety and is the best antidote to worry.
You can spot the difference between a con and honest engagement because the con will prove to be lifeless, dying vine with no positive outcomes. On the side of authenticity, it will be vibrant and bear the sweet fruit benefits. Toxic leaders generate fear driven through untruths while healthy leaders choose to create freedom and peaceful community. Pay attention to which direction the indictors are pointing, and you will have a better chance of avoiding the grift and false leadership theatre.