One usually does not think about blue jeans and great speeches in the
same sentence as leadership. But they go
hand in hand. Let me explain.
In the world that we live in, social media and changing values can
often drive our political views; what is captured in a sound bite might be the
news of the day for some political leader.
Some of our so—called leaders are
missing two crucial elements of giving hope to their constituents for a better
future. Let’s use Donald Trump as an
example.
How many photos of Trump in blue jeans have you seen? Probably
zero. More often than not, he is in a
suit and tie, or when “going casual,” khaki pants and a jacket to hide his
obese figure. Why does it matter that
he does not wear blue jeans? It matters
because that is a way to relate to the ordinary person, to show that “he’s one of
us.” Imagine talking to a bunch of,
say, farmers or factory workers while dressed in a suit and tie. What kind of message,
subliminal or overt, does that send? It
matters how we appear to others.
Some politician wearing blue jeans is more likely to be perceived in a
positive way rather than some guy who dresses better than us because he thinks
that he is better than us.
As to great speeches, they can serve to inspire a nation, to give it
comfort in times of tragedy, to give it hope when things are tough, and to create
common goals. How many great speeches
have you heard from Trump? If you are
being honest, the answer is none. The Teleprompter is his speech. For those of us who remember the echoes of
history, nothing that Trump has ever said has matched, say, the “ask not
what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” speech
of John F. Kennedy, or the words of hope and consolation expressed by Barack
Obama or George Bush during some of our most trying times. We remember those great speeches;
they help to give meaning to our lives, and to remind us that we are in this
together.
Wearing blue jeans—a simple thing.
Giving a great speech—a simple thing. But, oh so meaningful at many
levels.
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