A Leader's Call for Civility and Decency

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jT6oHIcltGU/YAgejB-JF8I/AAAAAAABRcU/HID5akcxyZsIfb_kDoQ4zv873tjmHLzWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Currier%2Band%2BIves%2B-%2BThe%2BInauguration%2Bof%2BWashington%2B1876.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1701" data-original-width="2048" height="532" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jT6oHIcltGU/YAgejB-JF8I/AAAAAAABRcU/HID5akcxyZsIfb_kDoQ4zv873tjmHLzWgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h532/Currier%2Band%2BIves%2B-%2BThe%2BInauguration%2Bof%2BWashington%2B1876.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/659888">The Inauguration of Washington</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Currier & Ives, 1876 (public domain - Metropolitan Museum)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br />“…the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.”</strong> </em></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— George Washington, 1796<br /><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Today marks the quadrennial tradition in America when the President of the United States is sworn into office.</p><p>The job is easily the most serious and onerous one in the world; the salary is a pittance compared to the responsibilities the officeholder assumes.</p><p>All eyes are on the president on that day. All ears, too. For it has been a tradition—since our very first president—that the Commander-in-Chief delivers an inaugural address.</p><p>When George Washington accepted the presidency, he not only set the tone for future holders of that office, but he also had an opportunity to demonstrate to his country what his principles were.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“As the first of everything in our situation will serve to establish a precedent, it is devoutly wished on my part that these precedents may be fixed on true principles.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— George Washington to James Madison, 1789</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Washington was a man who understood the power of symbols and appearances. He knew <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/everything-communicates">everything communicates</a>. And the first inauguration of the president of a newly-formed country was the perfect vehicle for communicating.</p><p>The Constitution didn’t call for an inaugural address. But Washington, a leader of men, knew the power of the spoken word to stir men’s souls.</p><p>The morning of April 30, 1789 dawned bright and sunny in New York City. The weather that day was to be a comfortable 59 degrees—perfect spring weather for the outdoor ceremony planned for that day.</p><p>Washington, who was meticulous in his attire, was notorious for dressing in either his military uniform or the traditional dress of a British gentleman. Noting that “we have already been too long subject to British prejudices,” he instead chose a brown suit made from cloth woven in Hartford, Connecticut: a signal that he would support American industry.<br /></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><br /><figcaption class="image-caption"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_George_Washington#/media/File:Washington's_Inauguration.jpg"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9YHizF-vq30/YAgfVAjeLRI/AAAAAAABRcc/iBfjorGWX2EzMkosNqyt5e1OUh3U9LyAACLcBGAsYHQ/s451/Washington%2527s_Inauguration.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="451" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9YHizF-vq30/YAgfVAjeLRI/AAAAAAABRcc/iBfjorGWX2EzMkosNqyt5e1OUh3U9LyAACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Washington%2527s_Inauguration.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="captioned-image-container" style="text-align: left;"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_George_Washington#/media/File:Washington's_Inauguration.jpg">First presidential inauguration of George Washington</a> (public domain)</i></span></figcaption></figure></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></a></figcaption></figure></div><p>As he walked out onto the balcony of Federal Hall at the corner of Wall and Nassau Streets in New York City a little after noon, George Washington witnessed a roar arise from the crowd below. He and they were acutely aware that the ceremony they were about to witness was not one of secret rites and rituals; the open-air atmosphere belied the transparency and universality of the event.</p><p>After taking his oath of office, Washington stepped forward to deliver his address. From the very opening, he demonstrated his legendary humility:</p><blockquote><p>“[T]he magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my country called me, being sufficient to awaken in the wisest and most experienced of her citizens a distrustful scrutiny into his qualifications, could not but overwhelm with despondence, one, who, inheriting inferior endowments from nature and unpractised in the duties of civil administration, ought to be peculiarly conscious of his own deficiencies.”</p></blockquote><p>He acknowledged the great honor while noting his hesitance to consider himself worthy of that honor. This humility was not a ploy; it was vintage Washington. When placed next to his towering achievements in the American Revolution, this modesty was authentic and endearing.</p><p>On Inauguration Day, his <em><strong>“demeanor was stately, modest, and deeply affecting; he clapped one hand to his heart and bowed several times to the crowd…Thanks to his simple dignity, integrity, and unrivaled sacrifices for his country, Washington’s conquest of the people was complete.”</strong></em> (Ron Chernow, <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3qCoYX2">George Washington: A Life</a></em>, p. 567)</p><p>Those attributes not only carried the day and foretold Washington’s time in office, setting an example for other presidents yet to come:</p><h4><span style="font-size: medium;">Dignity. Integrity. Sacrifice.</span><br /><br /></h4><div><hr /></div><p><br />The rest of his speech was a blank canvas on which Washington painted. He decided to focus on broad vision and strategy, rather than on specific policies. Given that the United States of America and its newly-formed government was under the scrutiny of the world and that its citizenry was comprised of regional factions, Washington needed to emphasize unity:</p><blockquote><p>“I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no separate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our National policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of a free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>“…there exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage, between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity.”</p></blockquote><p>Recognizing that the role and responsibilities he was about to undertake was more than any one man could accept, in his closing line, Washington prayed that <em><strong>“divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.”</strong></em></p><p>We’re at a critical moment in our country’s history where we need a leader who can show breadth of vision, receive expert counsel and advice, and make informed decisions on behalf of the citizens while charting a course for unity.</p><p>It’s the same kind of leadership one might expect the CEO of any company, and how these plans are communicated — especially at the outset — can determine the difference between success and failure of an executive.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h3><strong>25 Examples of Civility and Decent Behavior</strong></h3><p>George Washington had only seven or eight years of school; his father died when he was eleven, so he had to work. Given his place in the Virginia legislature and later in the Continental Congress, he was self-conscious about his lack of education—particularly when his peers were classically educated in Greek and Latin, and had attended college.</p><p>But Washington kept something with him that guided his thoughts and deeds since he was a young man. As was the custom of young men of the day, by the time he was 16 years old, George Washington had copied 110 maxims for proper behavior from a text called <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3qO1Jth">Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation</a> </strong></em>that dated back to Jesuit scholars in 1595.</p><p>Many of the concepts are timeless and still apply to civil society today—they are matters of deference and politeness. Leaders who wish to impart a positive example through their own behavior should take note.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure style="text-align: center;"><a class="image-link image2 image2-320-185" href="https://amzn.to/3sAqOJP" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(172.664%, 319.429px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/129143f2-98a6-43b5-b1cd-613967f8481d_289x499.jpeg","height":499,"width":289,"resizeWidth":185,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":"https://amzn.to/3sAqOJP"}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F129143f2-98a6-43b5-b1cd-613967f8481d_289x499.jpeg" style="max-height: 319.429px; max-width: 185px;" /></a></figure></div><p>These are some of the most relevant and significant that leaders might still keep in mind today.</p><p><strong>1st</strong>: Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present. [<em>Treat everyone with respect</em>.]</p><p><strong>6th</strong>: Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop.</p><p><strong>18th</strong>: Read no letters, books, or papers in company but when there is a necessity for the doing of it you must ask leave. Come not near the books or writings of another so as to read them unless desired, or give your opinion of them unasked. Also look not nigh when another is writing a letter.</p><p><strong>22nd</strong>: Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy.</p><p><strong>35th</strong>: Let your discourse with men of business be short and comprehensive. [<em>When you speak, keep it brief</em>.]</p><p><strong>40th</strong>: Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty. [<em>Do not argue with your superior. Submit your ideas with humility</em>.]</p><p><strong>44th</strong>: When a man does all he can though it succeeds not well blame not him that did it. [<em>When a person does his best and fails, do not criticize him</em>.]</p><p><strong>45th</strong>: Being to advise or reprehend any one, consider whether it ought to be in public or in private, presently or at some other time in what terms to do it; and in reproving show no sign of choler but do it with all sweetness and mildness. [<em>When you must give advice or criticism, consider the timing, whether it should be given in public or private, the manner and above all be gentle</em>.]</p><p><strong>46th</strong>: Take all admonitions thankfully in what time or place soever given, but afterwards not being culpable take a time and place convenient to let him know it that gave them. [<em>If you are corrected, take it without argument. If you were wrongly judged, correct it later</em>.]</p><p><strong>47th</strong>: Mock not nor jest at any thing of Importance; break no jest that are sharp, biting, and if you deliver any thing witty and pleasant, abstain from laughing thereat yourself. [<em>Do not make fun of anything important to others</em>.]</p><p><strong>48th</strong>: Wherein you reprove another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than precepts. [<em>If you criticize someone else of something, make sure you are not guilty of it yourself. Actions speak louder than words</em>.]</p><p><strong>50th</strong>: Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any. [<em>Do not be quick to believe bad reports about others</em>.]</p><p><strong>56th</strong>: Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company. [<em>You’re judged by the company you keep</em>.]</p><p><strong>58th</strong>: Let your conversation be without malice or envy, for ’tis a sign of a tractable and commendable nature: And in all causes of passion admit reason to govern. [<em>Always allow reason to govern your actions</em>.]</p><p><strong>59th</strong>: Never express anything unbecoming, nor act against the rules moral before your inferiors. [<em>Never break the rules in front of subordinates</em>.]</p><p><strong>63rd</strong>: A man ought not to value himself of his achievements, or rare qualities of wit, much less of his riches virtue or kindred. [<em>A person should not overly value their own accomplishments</em>.]</p><p><strong>65th</strong>: Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor earnest; scoff at none although they give occasion. [<em>Do not insult anyone, even if you are joking</em>.]</p><p><strong>69th</strong>: If two contend together take not the part of either unconstrained; and be not obstinate in your own opinion, in things indifferent be of the major side. [<em>If two people disagree, do not take one side or the other. Be flexible in your own opinions and when you don't care, take the majority opinion</em>.]</p><p><strong>70th</strong>: Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belongs to parents masters and superiors. [<em>Do not correct others when it is not your place to do so</em>.]</p><p><strong>73rd</strong>: Think before you speak, pronounce not imperfectly nor bring out your words too hastily but orderly and distinctly.</p><p><strong>74th</strong>: When another speaks be attentive yourself, and disturb not the audience. If any hesitate in his words, help him not nor prompt him without desired. Interrupt him not, nor answer him till his speech be ended.</p><p><strong>79th</strong>: Be not apt to relate news if you know not the truth thereof. In discoursing of things you have heard name not your author; always a secret discover not. [<em>Don’t be quick to talk about something when you don’t have all the facts</em>.]</p><p><strong>82nd</strong>: Undertake not what you cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise. [<em>Don’t start what you can’t finish. Keep your promises</em>.]</p><p><strong>89th</strong>: Speak not evil of the absent for it is unjust. [<em>Do not speak badly of those who are not present</em>.]</p><p><strong>110th</strong>: Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. [<em>Don’t allow yourself to become jaded, cynical, or calloused</em>.]</p><p><br />Perhaps it’s worth rereading <em>Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior</em>.</p><p>The leaders we admire and the leaders we should become ought to model decency. Always.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h1>One Timely Thing…</h1><p>Before you go, I wanted to share one present-day inaugural highlight with you, from a recent project.</p><p>Last month, we received an email from the Biden Inaugural Committee, asking for some help with engagement around the Inauguration.</p><p>During the consultation, we made some strategic recommendations, including working with historians (oh, you didn’t know Historian Twitter was a thing?) to tell the stories of past inaugurations, as a way to frame the current one.</p><p>And last Friday, I saw this kick off:</p><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Check out the first video in our historian series with Professor <a href="https://twitter.com/katemasur?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@katemasur</a> on Lincoln's historic inaugural address. <a href="https://t.co/0bFmgv0K6K">pic.twitter.com/0bFmgv0K6K</a></p>— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) <a href="https://twitter.com/BidenInaugural/status/1350216192414236673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /><p></p><p>We’re honored to have contributed to the digital communications plan for the Biden Inauguration at this historic moment.</p><p>And if you're interested in having <strong><a href="https://scottmonty.com">Scott Monty Strategies</a></strong> involved in your strategic communications or executive communications efforts, please feel free to be in touch at inquiries @ scottmonty.com.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>I’ll be back on Friday with some examples of how other presidential inaugural speeches addressed issues in the midst of a crisis. I hope you’re signed up for those <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">exclusive subscriber-only updates</a></strong>.</p><br /></div>

A Leader's Call for Civility and Decency

The Inauguration of Washington  by Currier & Ives, 1876 (public domain - Metropolitan Museum) “…the chief of some prevailing faction, mo...

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How Did We Get Here?

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqcO-M-TXSo/X_78YsgluvI/AAAAAAABRUI/fCnb6Lmw8TcJsFH8649bVJfIi8W9Mh5nwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Evariste%2BVital%2BLuminais%2B-%2BLes%2B%25C3%25A9nerv%25C3%25A9s%2Bde%2BJumi%25C3%25A8ges.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1200" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqcO-M-TXSo/X_78YsgluvI/AAAAAAABRUI/fCnb6Lmw8TcJsFH8649bVJfIi8W9Mh5nwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h440/Evariste%2BVital%2BLuminais%2B-%2BLes%2B%25C3%25A9nerv%25C3%25A9s%2Bde%2BJumi%25C3%25A8ges.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-context="["captionedImage",null]"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evariste_Vital_Luminais_-_Les_%C3%A9nerv%C3%A9s_de_Jumi%C3%A8ges_(Mus%C3%A9e_des_beaux-arts_de_Rouen).jpg">Les Énervés de Jumièges</a></em> by Évariste Vital Luminais, 1880 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)*</span></figcaption></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div><br /></div><div><div><hr /><br /></div></div><div><p data-pm-context="[]" style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“Whatever the apparent cause of any riots may be, the real one is always want of happiness.”</strong> </em></p><p data-pm-context="[]" style="text-align: right;"><em>—Thomas Paine, 1792<br /><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />As much as history can inform our understanding of the present, we’re never quite prepared for a crisis.</p><p>We can point to events and behaviors that presaged certain crises, and perhaps we can even pick them out today, but when a situation becomes acute, it seems to happen all at once and takes people by surprise.</p><p>Well-trained corporate communications teams participate in crisis planning and usually have a crisis plan or handbook at the ready when they need to snap into action. In the digital age, those tend to gather dust, as crises now depend on the speed of response and a well-tuned instinct.</p><p>There was a crisis brewing in the winter of 1776. It was on this occasion that General George Washington pulled out a handbook of his own: the appropriately-named collection of soul-stirring essays by Thomas Paine titled <em>The Crisis</em>.</p><p>Published on December 19, the timing couldn’t have been better (or tighter), as public opinion was mounting and troop morale was flagging. It was still early in the American Revolution, and its cause was on life support.</p><p>Washington’s troops were on the verge of quitting when, on December 23, he had the pamphlets read to his men, including this rousing opening line:</p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”</strong></em></p></blockquote><p>Fortified in spirit, Washington’s forces crossed the Delaware River and attacked a Hessian garrison on the night of Christmas Day, as the Hessians were still in a drunken stupor from celebrating. It was a badly needed victory that changed the course of the war.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Many signs point to a growing historical consciousness among the American people. I trust that this is so. It is useful to remember that history is to the nation as memory is to the individual. As persons deprived of memory become disoriented and lost, not knowing where they have been and where they are going, so a nation denied a conception of the past will be disabled in dealing with its present and its future.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., 2007</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /><br /></div><h1>Managing a Crisis</h1><p>With any crisis, there are certain steps a leader should take to forge a path ahead.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Acknowledge the reality</strong></h3><p>Determine what the crisis actually is. Gather the facts.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Take control</strong></h3><p>There’s a limit to what you can control in a crisis, but if it’s a crisis of your own making (that is a policy position or business process), then stop doing what caused the crisis in the first place.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Communicate—frequently</strong></h3><p>The worst thing in a crisis is silence. It allows observers to reach their own conclusions and fill the silence with their own narrative. Leaders should be out front, keeping stakeholders up to date with information on what they know and what they’re doing. In fact, it’s safe to over-communicate in such circumstances.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Admit mistakes</strong></h3><p>Because the public looks to hold those in power accountable, leaders should accept responsibility for crises. Without <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/leaders-need-to-be-accountable">accountability</a>, the situation will continue to fester. From there, leaders can announce what they’ll do differently.</p><p>If you’ve been following the aftermath of the national crisis, you may note calls for accountability on one side and calls for healing and unity on the other. While we all certainly want to move on, healing is impossible without forgiveness. Forgiveness is impossible without the responsible party admitting guilt.</p><p>What we’re witnessing is the classic cycle of an abuser after causing pain. Upon being called out, they resort to DARVO: deny, attack, and reverse victim and offender. Suddenly, <em>you’re</em> the one who’s causing disunity by not wanting to move on.</p><p>Imagine if, in the throes of the Exxon <em>Valdez</em> oil spill or the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, that executives denied their responsibility, attacked those who uncovered it, blamed the media for cancel culture, and told the public to just shut up and deal with it.</p><p>Yeah, I'm shaking my head too.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><strong><br />How did we get here?</strong></h3><p>Only when a crisis has passed is it time for a clear-eyed assessment about what caused the scenario to play out as it did. It can be a painful, soul-searching step, but it’s required if we want to avoid a similar crisis playing out in the future.</p><p>In <a href="https://youtu.be/qt4AFzBRcuI">America: What Went Wrong?</a>, a 9-minute talk by <a href="https://www.smerconish.com/">Michael Smerconish</a>—an excerpt from his hour-long speech on the media’s role in the rise of partisanship, increase of polarization, and ultimately, the recent attempted coup in Washington—looks at the prevailing forces that have conspired to make us as polarized as we are: a setting that made January 6 almost inevitable.</p><div class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{"videoId":"qt4AFzBRcuI","startTime":null,"endTime":null}" id="youtube2-qt4AFzBRcuI" style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qt4AFzBRcuI" width="560"></iframe></div><p><br />One thing in this talk that stuck out to me is his thesis that the media’s priorities changed along the way. Networks went from having shows that were personality-driven to being ideologically-driven. It went from kind of a thinking-person’s entertainment to an unthinking person’s blood sport—like professional wrestling.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Very well. So the universe is not quite as you thought it was. You’d better rearrange your beliefs, then. Because you certainly can't rearrange the universe.” </strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Isaac Asimov, 1941</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Ultimately, the state of mind of any group of people—the public at large, your employees, your working group, your family—particularly in the midst of a crisis, depends on everyone agreeing to the first step in crisis management: acknowledging reality.</p><p>Not the world as you wish it to be; the world as it is.</p><p>A leader is responsible for communicating the reality, however harsh it is, to their people. Otherwise, everyone is in for an unpleasant surprise.</p><p><br /></p><div class="captioned-image-container"></div><div><hr /></div><h2><strong>*About the image</strong></h2><p><em>Les Énervés de Jumièges</em> (the enervated men of Jumièges) by Luminais is also known as <em>The Sons of Clovis I</em>I. According to legend, when two of Clovis II’s sons dared to rise up against him, he had them hamstrung and set adrift in the Seine.</p><h2><strong>Additional Reading</strong></h2><p>Every week in the Friday newsletter, I give subscribers more material related to the topic of the essay, including a book. This week, I have an additional book to recommend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/35Rhp71" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1347" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHOtwlTSxvo/X_7-LLiOZEI/AAAAAAABRUU/vZUsUColBhUwMF1_iaw_My3q3kXMfNvwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Folly.jpg" /></a></div><p><em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/35Rhp71" target="_blank">The Age of Folly: America Abandons Its Democracy</a></strong></em> by Lewis H. Lapham (Viking Press, 2016).</p><p>From the dust jacket:<br /></p><p>In twenty-five years of imperial adventure, America has laid waste to its principles of democracy. The self-glorifying march of folly steps off at the end of the Cold War, in an era when delusions of omnipotence allowed the market to climb to virtual heights, while society was divided between the selfish and frightened rich and the increasingly debt-ridden and angry poor. The new millennium saw the democratic election of an American president nullified by the Supreme Court, and the pretender launching a wasteful, vainglorious and never-ending war on terror, doomed to end in defeat and the loss of America’s prestige abroad.</p><p>All this culminates in the sunset swamp of the 2016 election—a farce dominated by Donald Trump, a self-glorifying photo-op bursting star-spangled bombast in air. This spectacle would be familiar to Aristotle, whose portrayal of the “prosperous fool” describes a class of people who “consider themselves worthy to hold public office, for they already have the things that give them a claim to office.”</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />This story continues on Friday with some commentary about our post-truth world, for members of the paid subscription tier only.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Members receive an additional essay, plus curated stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p></div>

How Did We Get Here?

Les Énervés de Jumièges by Évariste Vital Luminais, 1880 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)* “Whatever the apparent cause of any riots may...

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On Losing Subscribers

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10PLp5bFjiY/X_pC-DWeH-I/AAAAAAABRQI/2nXsIgdEMi0LP9P5B1YbvMvoC7w-1p2DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1181/Rembrandt%2B-%2BSt.%2BPeter%2527s%2Bdenial.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1181" height="586" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10PLp5bFjiY/X_pC-DWeH-I/AAAAAAABRQI/2nXsIgdEMi0LP9P5B1YbvMvoC7w-1p2DgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h586/Rembrandt%2B-%2BSt.%2BPeter%2527s%2Bdenial.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Saint_Peter_(Rembrandt)#/media/File:Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_012.jpg" target="_blank">St. Peter's Denial</a></i> by Rembrandt, 1660 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>I lost some newsletter subscribers this week.</p><p>Not in any kind of tragic accident or anything—that would be terrible.</p><p>No, I mean they unsubscribed when I sent my weekly newsletter.</p><p>It's not like this is an abnormal event; they didn't subscribe in any huge numbers to make me wonder what happened. It's something that occurs every week after I hit that "publish" button.</p><p>And you know what? It really doesn't bother me—for a couple of reasons.</p><p>The first reason can be explained with a simple formula: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Attraction > Attrition</b></span></p><p>That is, I can count on a net positive every week, as I attract more subscribers than I shed.</p><p>The second reason is I know there will always be people who don't agree with me, or for whom my writing isn't relevant. And that's okay.</p><p>I'm an acquired taste. In a sea of fast food, I recognize that my offerings sometimes equate to more of something like a seven-course meal. There's certainly more to digest, and it's richer—that is, it makes people think. And not everyone wants or needs to be put to that kind of ordeal right now.</p><p>I can respect that.</p><p>I don't look at my stats regularly; I've turned off email updates from my newsletter host. I keep writing because I'm writing for me (partially). But also because I know there are people who enjoy what I write.</p><p>But I don't mind debate and disagreement either. In fact, I'm glad to hear from people who tell me I'm off base, because it helps me hone my thinking. I might push back, or I might sit with the criticism and rethink my position, and that helps me become a better writer.</p><p>It helps me fine-tune what I do the next time, and the time after that.</p><p>I guess what I'm saying is when I lose subscribers, I gain focus.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div><p></p><div><br /></div>

On Losing Subscribers

St. Peter's Denial by Rembrandt, 1660 (public domain - Wikipedia) I lost some newsletter subscribers this week. Not in any kind of trag...

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The Blame Game

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_UCfO3xpAew/X_o1Q4IErOI/AAAAAAABRPw/8JlqKJxzQXEZOiN1Q1SIM2zjOpPTvtzOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2633/Michelangelo%2B-%2BCreation%2Bof%2BAdam%2B1511.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="2633" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_UCfO3xpAew/X_o1Q4IErOI/AAAAAAABRPw/8JlqKJxzQXEZOiN1Q1SIM2zjOpPTvtzOwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h290/Michelangelo%2B-%2BCreation%2Bof%2BAdam%2B1511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #767676; font-family: sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Adam#/media/File:Michelangelo_-_Creation_of_Adam_(cropped).jpg">The Creation of Adam</a></em><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #767676;"> by Michelangelo, 1511 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><hr /><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>“A gentleman accepts the responsibility of his actions and bears the burden of their consequences, even when he did not himself instigate them but only acquiesced to them, didn't say No even though he knew he should.” </b></i></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><i>— William Faulkner, 1962</i></div><br /><p></p><p></p><hr /><br /><p></p><p>Let’s be real for a minute.</p><p>When something goes wrong, it feels good to hold someone accountable, doesn’t it?</p><p>To look at a problem, find a scapegoat, and fully lay the blame on them. There’s a certain amount of schadenfreude or moral superiority in that scenario.</p><p>It’s one of the reasons superheroes are perpetually popular: they are the ultimate arbiters of justice because they have powers we don’t: they can discern truth and they can track down the criminals who rain chaos down on the city. Through transference, we can imagine ourselves in their capes.</p><p>It’s justice personified.</p><p>Or, as Edgar W. Smith wrote of Sherlock Holmes, that original caped crusader:</p><p></p><blockquote>“We see him as the fine expression of our urge to trample evil and to set aright the wrongs with which the world is plagued. He is Galahad and Socrates, bringing high adventure to our dull existences and calm, judicial logic to our biased minds. He is the success of all our failures; the bold escape from our imprisonment.”</blockquote><p></p><p><br />It’s tempting to find a target to blame. To shift responsibility from ourselves. It’s human nature.</p><p>Consider the first book of the Bible, in which Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden. Eve eats the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge — the one tree God forbid humans to eat from — then convinces Adam to join her. Once caught, the blame game begins.</p><p>Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent. It was a circular firing squad, and they were all cast out of the garden.</p><p>So yes, when we’re accused of wrongdoing, our minds instinctively move to avoid the shame of wrong and the pain of punishment, and instead attempt to put a target on someone else’s back.</p><p>Only here’s the thing: that target could just as easily be you at any point. You have likely come across this poem, or at least fragments of it: </p><blockquote><p>First they came for the Communists<br />And I did not speak out<br />Because I was not a Communist</p><p>Then they came for the Socialists<br />And I did not speak out<br />Because I was not a Socialist</p><p>Then they came for the trade unionists<br />And I did not speak out<br />Because I was not a trade unionist</p><p>Then they came for the Jews<br />And I did not speak out<br />Because I was not a Jew</p><p>Then they came for me<br />And there was no one left<br />To speak out for me</p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>— Martin Niemöller</i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: right;"><i></i></p><p><br /></p><p>Niemöller’s work reminds us that there’s culpability in silence, just as there is in blame. If we don’t speak up and others suffer the consequences because of our silence, it’s the equivalent of actively throwing them under the bus.</p><p>Incidentally, for a real philosophical connection to the phrase “throw them under the bus,” be sure to check the video in <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-blame-game" target="_blank">the Timeless section in the newsletter</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><hr /><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” </b></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>— Martin Luther King, Jr.<br /><br /></i></p><p></p><p></p><hr /><p><br /></p><p></p><p>Rev. King’s quote above is not some abstraction; it was a specific reference to John F. Kennedy’s position on civil rights: he was supportive of the concept privately, but unwilling to take a public stand.</p><p>Perhaps you’ll recall this vignette in another president’s tenure from the previous newsletter “<a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2021/01/leaders-need-to-be-accountable.html" target="_blank">Leaders Need to Be Accountable</a>”:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>In 1948, Harry Truman made an executive order at the risk of losing popularity: he determined that segregation within the U.S. military was illegal. It was an election year, and this decision could have cost him the presidency.</p><p>But he made the decision anyway—because it was the right thing to do. And he was prepared to accept the consequences of his behavior.</p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><p>We all make mistakes from time to time; the true measure of a leader is how they rise up to greet that mistake.</p><p>Do they welcome it at the door, before it even knocks, and announce to everyone inside what they’ve done? Or do they refuse to answer and send it next door?</p><p>Leaders at all levels, from a first-time manager to a long-time CEO, are watched and scrutinized by their teams. Their actions and reactions will tell a story more clearly and effectively than any narrative they put in place.</p><p>Maybe we’ve made a bad hire. Or flubbed a marketing campaign. Perhaps we’ve been in a leadership position when a crisis occurred. Our words and actions have consequences, particularly in response to slip-ups.</p><p>Our behavior will not only be watched closely, but it will be mimicked by the people whom we lead. Attitudes aren’t taught; they’re caught.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Reivers</b></h2><p>For a story of the power of accountability, I’m reminded of a scene toward the end of William Faulkner’s final novel, The Reivers. The book is a retrospective, told by Lucius when he was an old man. He recalled some events of his childhood in Mississippi in 1905.</p><p>He was convinced by his friend Boon Hogganbeck to “borrow” the automobile of Lucius’s grandfather, “Boss.” They added coachman Ned McCaslin to the group and headed for Memphis. Along the way, they ran into challenges and exciting new things for an 11 year-old like Lucius, from getting stuck in a bog to visiting a brothel. And Ned traded Boss’s car for a horse to pay off a friend’s debt. If it won the race it was scheduled to run in, would mean the debt would be clear and the car would return to Ned’s possession.</p><p>The action culminated the only way it could: with Lightning, the horse, winning the race, but with Boss showing up unexpectedly.</p><p>When it came time to punish Lucius, Grandfather told Father to spare the shaving strop he was going to use on the boy. Lucius admitted his guilt and expected punishment, imploring his grandfather to get it out of the way: </p><blockquote><p>“How can I forget it? Tell me how to.”</p><p>“You can’t,” he said. “Nothing is ever forgotten. Nothing is ever lost. It’s too valuable.”</p><p>“Then what can I do?”</p><p>“Live with it,” Grandfather said.</p><p>“Live with it? You mean, forever? For the rest of my life? Not ever to get rid of it? Never? I can’t.”</p><p>“Yes you can,” he said. “You will. A gentleman always does. A gentleman can live through anything. He faces anything. A gentleman accepts the responsibility of his actions and bears the burden of their consequences, even when he did not himself instigate them but only acquiesced to them, didn't say No even though he knew he should.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Just for fun, here’s <a href="https://youtu.be/naYz7s4QcxQ?t=649" target="_blank">a musical version of <i>The Reivers</i></a>, with text adapted by Irving and Harriet Ravetch, narrated by Burgess Meredith with music by John Williams. The denouement can be found at 27:54:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/naYz7s4QcxQ?start=654" width="560"></iframe></p><p><br /></p><p>Given the extraordinary events on Capitol Hill this week, and the equally extraordinary silence, acquiescence, or gaslighting, there are a few leaders at the national level who could do with a word at the knee of Grandfather.</p><p>Real leaders shoulder the blame and give credit to others.</p><p>It’s only when we accept the responsibility of our actions and bear the burden of our consequences that we can call ourselves true leaders.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />If you'd like to read the entire newsletter, including what our paid members receive - curated stories and audio and book recommendations, you can <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-blame-game" target="_blank">satisfy your curiosity here</a>.<br /><br />Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>

The Blame Game

The Creation of Adam  by Michelangelo, 1511 (public domain - Wikipedia) “A gentleman accepts the responsibility of his actions and bears the...

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Leaders Need to Be Accountable

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RwlcbotL6I0/X_paokfFpqI/AAAAAAABRQY/nAcfISsn-c8IYHtOkEKZxngE1Hqbt7OVACLcBGAsYHQ/s1372/Jacques-Louis%2BDavid%2B-%2BThe%2BDeath%2Bof%2BSeneca%2B1773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1372" height="504" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RwlcbotL6I0/X_paokfFpqI/AAAAAAABRQY/nAcfISsn-c8IYHtOkEKZxngE1Hqbt7OVACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h504/Jacques-Louis%2BDavid%2B-%2BThe%2BDeath%2Bof%2BSeneca%2B1773.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Seneca_(David)#/media/File:David_La_morte_di_Seneca.jpg">The Death of Seneca</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Jacques-Louis David, 1773 (public domain - Wikipedia)<br /></span><br style="text-align: left;" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“The buck stops here.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Harry Truman</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />In 1948, Harry Truman made an executive order at the risk of losing popularity: he determined that segregation within the U.S. military was illegal. It was an election year, and this decision could have cost him the presidency.</p><p>But he made the decision anyway, because it was the right thing to do. And he was prepared to accept the consequences of his behavior. That seems a rather quaint and even antiquated notion now, doesn’t it?</p><p>We live in an age when evasion, obfuscation, and accusation are the defensive arts of choice when prominent individuals are called out for improper behavior.</p><p>What once would have toppled entire administrations or candidacies is now minimized or leveled with a <em><a href="https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque">tu quoque</a></em><a href="https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque"> logical fallacy</a>.</p><p>Avoiding responsibility and pointing blame at others is the order of the day. It’s not those who have breached the norms of ethics and the rule of law; it’s the whistleblower’s fault for disloyalty. It’s the media’s fault for reporting it.</p><p>Have you noticed this pattern?</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br />“The supreme quality of a leader is unquestionable integrity.”</strong> </em></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Dwight D. Eisenhower<br /><br /></em></p><div><hr /><br /></div><h2>Legal Jeopardy</h2><p>We need to look no further than a lawyer who took part in that questionable call between President Trump and the Secretary of State of Georgia over the weekend. Cleta Mitchell from the law firm of Foley & Lardner LLP was part of that call. After her employer stated it would not participate in any efforts to overturn the presidential election.</p><p>The Foley & Lardner LLP website states:</p><blockquote><p>“We will adhere to high standards of ethics, professionalism and integrity and safeguard the reputation of the firm at all times.”</p></blockquote><p>And yet, this employee decided to ignore the company’s intentions and threw its standards out the window. On January 2, just days before the certification process completes, she determined to be part of an effort to nullify it.</p><p>And just yesterday, she left her job after the firm determined it was uncomfortable with her actions.</p><p>Her statement? She blamed the media and members of the public who called her out rather than acknowledging that she was caught on tape violating her law firm’s policy.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/cleta-mitchell-foley-lardner-trump.html">In an email to her clients and friends</a>, Ms. Mitchell blamed her departure on “a massive pressure campaign in the last several days mounted by leftist groups via social media and other means against me, my law firm and clients of the law firm.”</p><p>The accountable leader would have said, “I made a judgment error. It was unwise to place my firm’s reputation in jeopardy by associating myself with a legally tenuous effort.”</p><p>Time and again we read of leaders who made the decision to do the right thing, even in the face of poor public opinion or dangerous situations.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“How can one fit monarchy into any sound system of ethics when it allows a man to do whatever he likes without any responsibility or control?”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Herodotus, 522 BC</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /><br /></div><h2>Seneca’s Choice</h2><p>The painting above, <em>The Death of Seneca</em> by Jacques-Louis David, is a perfect representation of that. Seneca was a Stoic tutor of the emperor Nero. As a callow youth with much to learn, Nero needed guidance, and his mother hired Seneca to be a force for good.</p><p>Part of Seneca’s plan was to give Nero a sense of ethics and duty, and in doing so, restore order to parts of Roman politics. As Nero’s wealth and power grew, so did Seneca’s. To the point where Seneca was the second richest person in Rome. And as you can imagine, that came by questionable methods.</p><p>Eventually, Seneca fell out of favor (because narcissists only appreciate when you’re helping them) and Nero suspected him of being part of a conspiracy. Seneca, rather than fight the accusation or flee, remained at his villa where he committed suicide at the request of the emperor.</p><p>In other words, he accepted his fate.</p><p><br /></p><h2>What Leaders Do</h2><p>We may make decisions that people don’t agree with, or support the questionable judgment of others. If and when the fickle finger of fate points back in our direction and we’re called to account for the behavior, the most noble thing we do is this:</p><p>Admit our error. Own up to our weakness.</p><p>Doing so is another form of <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/vulnerability-and-leadership">vulnerability</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/humility-or-futility">humility</a></strong>.</p><p>It’s a gesture of honesty.</p><p>And those are character traits necessary for a trusted leader.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><br /></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p>I’ll be back on Friday with a story from Faulkner and some commentary about Facebook, for members of the paid subscription tier only.</p><p>👉 Members receive an additional essay, plus curated stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Leaders Need to Be Accountable

The Death of Seneca  by Jacques-Louis David, 1773 (public domain - Wikipedia) “The buck stops here.”   — Harry Truman In 1948, Harry Truman ...

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The Follow-Through Is Everything

<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6d-4wk8kWo/X9pFUW15-xI/AAAAAAABQ3E/WWKUqoAWIp8xOlU17wX__o8KdEdWnkXngCLcBGAsYHQ/s1266/Giovanni%2BSegantini%2B-%2BThe%2BPunishment%2Bof%2BLust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1266" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6d-4wk8kWo/X9pFUW15-xI/AAAAAAABQ3E/WWKUqoAWIp8xOlU17wX__o8KdEdWnkXngCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h364/Giovanni%2BSegantini%2B-%2BThe%2BPunishment%2Bof%2BLust.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21878638">The Punishment of Lust</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Giovanni Segantini, 1891 (public domain - Google Cultural Institute)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div><p data-pm-context="[]"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div><hr /></div><p data-pm-context="[]"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“A great deal in life depends on who smacked your hand at breakfast when you were a child.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p data-pm-context="[]"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1993</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>“Don’t make me turn this car around!”</p><p>Who, having been confined to the backseat of the family wagon, hasn’t heard those words uttered in frustration from the front seat? They’re part of the lore of the family trip.</p><p>But who in reality has experienced dad or mom actually turning the car around and canceling the vacation?</p><p>As children, we’re trained to believe that the worst threats would be fulfilled, with devastating results. Intimidation by corporal punishment (“the belt”) has given way to the terror of revoked screen time — generations separated by virtue of disparate physical objects — evocative of a horrible, dreadful outcome.</p><p>Until those words are backed up with actions, they’re just that: words. But words carry power, and their power is only as effective as our actions.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“If he who breaks the law is not punished, he who obeys it is cheated.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Thomas Szasz, 1973</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>We have rules and expectations for a reason. Leaders understand them, follow them, and talk about them. Leaders in families, leaders in our communities, leaders in corporations. The cliché of leading by example is fundamentally true.</p><p>We communicate with <strong><a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/swindle-fraud/reassuring-words">reassuring words</a></strong> so our values are clear for everyone to see. Here’s an example from a company’s annual report:</p><blockquote><p><em><strong>Respect</strong></em>: We treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. We do not tolerate abusive or disrespectful treatment. Ruthlessness, callousness, and arrogance don’t belong here.</p><p><em><strong>Integrity</strong></em>: We work with customers and prospects openly, honestly, and sincerely. When we say we will do something, we will do it; when we say we cannot or will not do something, then we won’t do it.</p><p><em><strong>Communication</strong></em>: We have an obligation to communicate. Here, we take the time to talk with one another…and to listen. We believe that information is meant to move and that information moves people.</p><p><em><strong>Excellence</strong></em>: We are satisfied with nothing less than the very best in everything we do. We will continue to raise the bar for everyone. The great fun here will be for all of us to discover just how good we can really be.</p></blockquote><p>Fairly straightforward, right? Written in language everyone can understand and centered around values that are universal, these are innocuous (and some might say generic) values that everyone can agree to follow.</p><p>Except in this case, everyone <em>didn’t</em> agree to abide by them. This is from a 1998 annual report of <strong>Enron</strong>, the energy concern that played fast and very loose with its finances, leading to its demise and criminal charges against executives there.<br /><br /></p><p><strong>Words are worthless without behavior that underscores them</strong>. They become meaningless thought bubbles, wisps of intentions scattered by the winds that whip through a ghost-town of ineffectual action.</p><p>When a company sends out communications with typos or grammatical errors, when an employee talks about grand plans to change a broken process but doesn’t see the project through, when a family member promises cease some behavior that has put a relationship in jeopardy but falls back into the same pattern, what do these things tell you about them?</p><p>Everything communicates.</p><p>This is why Facebook’s constant apologies are empty. They claim they stand for something, or that they made a mistake, yet they continue pushing forward, without oversight, <strong><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/12/facebook-doomsday-machine/617384/">a doomsday machine in motion</a></strong>.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Indifference is… the permanent form of cruelty.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em>— Marcel Proust, 1921</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p>Leaders care about the people they serve. And it is just that: service. They know it’s their responsibility to help people improve, achieve more, and become better people.</p><p>It means as a leader, you need to live up to the ideals you set forth for others, and it means following through with consequences.</p><h3><br /><br /><strong>Letting a hero go</strong></h3><p>In the mid-1940s and early 1950s, <strong>General Douglas MacArthur</strong> was a national hero. As General of the Army, he led the Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II and received the Medal of Honor. He was so popular that streets, public works, parks (see what I did there?), and even a dance step were named after him.</p><p>But when he criticized <strong>President Truman’s</strong> limited-war strategy in public (and secretly sent cables to the Tokyo embassies of some European countries that he would push for the war and would win it), it was too much. Truman, by the power granted to him in the Constitution as commander-in-chief, relieved MacArthur of his command.</p><p>It was a bold and severe move, complicated by the public adulation of the military hero. But Truman was always a man of his word — courageous and principled. A man of character.<br /><br /></p><h3><strong>More than what we do: who we are</strong></h3><p>And lest you think this is just about punitive actions, it’s not. When we give our employees benefits like family leave or paid time off, <strong><a href="https://hbr.org/2020/12/im-a-ceo-and-a-working-dad-heres-what-i-wish-i-did-differently">but work right through them ourselves</a></strong>, we’re telling them that work takes priority over family, regardless of our written policies.<br /><br /></p><p>This time of year, parents may have the power of Santa or Elf on a Shelf to back them up, but leaders don’t have those magical beings or the power of the Constitution to issue threats and consequences.</p><p>We do have our convictions though. The values we express. The morals that guide us as individuals and as executives.</p><p>Leading with integrity means following through on your stated intentions.</p><p>When you don’t, it shows.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><br /></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em>For paid subscribers, I’ll see you back here on Friday with more links and recommendations for listening and reading. Everyone else, I’ll be back for one last essay before the end of the year.</em></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>This originally appeared in the December 16 issue of the <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/" style="color: #280170; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div></div><div><br /></div>

The Follow-Through Is Everything

  The Punishment of Lust  by Giovanni Segantini, 1891 (public domain - Google Cultural Institute) “A great deal in life depends on who smack...

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Why Nostalgia Clouds Our Judgment

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-maGBFQx57fE/X9EU9kycwtI/AAAAAAABQcs/urujN_Ggfk42g7Z8aUZHl0fWe20cZHkZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/John%2BWilliam%2BWaterhouse%2B-%2BMiranda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="2000" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-maGBFQx57fE/X9EU9kycwtI/AAAAAAABQcs/urujN_Ggfk42g7Z8aUZHl0fWe20cZHkZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h474/John%2BWilliam%2BWaterhouse%2B-%2BMiranda.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miranda_-_John_William_Waterhouse.jpg" target="_blank">Miranda</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> by John William Waterhouse, 1875 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><em>In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Miranda is the daughter of Prospero. She was banished to an island at the age of three, along with her father, where they lived for over a decade with only their only company their slave, Caliban. Miranda is blissfully unaware of the evils of the larger world and is openly compassionate.</em></p><p><em><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“We are all sensitive to the splendors of beginnings, to the rare quality of those moments when the present is freed from the past without as yet letting anything shine through of the future that sets it into motion.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Marc Augé, 2004</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Nostalgia is something of a false prophet. It feeds us powerful visions: memories of a glorious experience of the past—something that makes us long to relive it, like a first visit to a favorite location or a first viewing of a classic film.</p><p>Yet we can never reclaim it.</p><p>Therein lies the deceptive power of nostalgia. It’s able to create a deep and meaningful feeling within us, but it’s not the same as delivering an experience.</p><p>Especially at the holidays, when our playful memories serve up visions of sugarplums, snow angels, and laughter around the fireplace.</p><p>But it isn’t quite powerful enough to inoculate us from the cold reality of recycled fruitcake, scraping ice off of windshields, and the rising voices of family squabbles.</p><p>Why do we go on believing in the romance of the past?</p><p>Nostalgia is defined as “a wistful yearning for a return to some past period or irrecoverable condition.”</p><p>It’s a feeling that wraps around us like a favorite sweater or a particularly enjoyable food from our childhood. The result is a sense of warmth and comfort (hence the term “comfort food”).</p><p>Incidentally, comfort foods don’t contain any magic elixir or healing properties; it’s <strong><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/comfort-foods-arent-magic-memory-might-be-180961300/">the very memory of them that acts as a gentle salve</a></strong> for our troubled minds. They bring us a sense of belonging.</p><p>And really, isn’t that just what anyone wants? To belong.</p><p>Whether it’s a friend, family member, or an employee on your team, we all want to feel as if we’ve found the proper place in the world, that we’re useful to others, and that we're appreciated.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“But there can be no grave for Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson...Shall they not always live in Baker Street? Are they not there this moment, as one writes? Outside, the hansoms rattle through the rain, and Moriarty plans his latest devilry. Within, the sea-coal flames upon the hearth and Holmes and Watson take their well-won case...So they still live for all that love them well; in a romantic chamber of the heart, in a nostalgic country of the mind, where it is always 1895.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Vincent Starrett, 1933</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>When we wax nostalgic, we call to mind “the good old days,” or that “romantic chamber of the heart” that Vincent Starrett referred to above.</p><p>It’s similar to our discussion of <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/where-have-you-been">origin stories</a></strong> in last Friday’s newsletter. We long for those days when things were simpler, when challengers were fewer, and it was easier to discern between right and wrong.</p><p>Consider Facebook’s initial stated intent of making the world a more connected place, or Google’s pledge to not be evil. Without foreknowledge of the complex world and competing human desires into which technology thrust itself, these platitudes are nostalgic.</p><p>Yet we can never reclaim them. We can’t unring the bell.</p><p>You might even wonder if things ever <em>were</em> that unfettered.</p><p>The unspoken promise of the Make America Great Again message is to return America to a better, simpler time; to some, that means the 1950s, when suburban America was growing, kids were home and at the dinner table at 5:00 pm (which of course the housewife prepared), and life was like an episode of <em>Leave It To Beaver</em>.</p><p>That’s nostalgia.</p><p>The reality, though? Women didn’t have as many choices in terms of careers, were underpaid (and still are), and were victims of sexual harassment that could never be admitted in polite company.</p><p>The Civil Rights Act hadn’t yet been passed, and Black Americans had to fight to eat at the same lunch counters, struggled to be able to vote as easily as everyone else (and still do), and sue their way to be able to attend a local school.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“And the time and place and all the great events are near and dear to us not because our memories call them forth in pure nostalgia, but because they are a part of us today.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Edgar W. Smith, 1946</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>One form of nostalgia practiced in plenty of companies is the classic mantra “we’ve always done it that way.” Defensive long-term employees (those with an institutional memory—which itself isn't a negative) flex their WADITW muscle not by virtue of seniority, but as an autonomous response to avoid change.</p><p><strong>Progress</strong> and <strong>nostalgia</strong> are diametric opposites.</p><p>Progress pushes us forward, sometimes into cold and unfamiliar territory, where we make decisions we’re not comfortable with. We may eventually find our footing, but those first steps can be scary.</p><p>Conversely, nostalgia keeps us rooted in the past. It tethers us to the familiarity and comfort that actions, repeated by rote, bring us over time. The danger is we might be mindlessly moored to ideas and practices, without considering alternatives.</p><p>There’s nothing wrong with evoking nostalgia; many of the retro themes or vintage products we see today (pick your CPG, QSR, or other company of choice—from retro bottles of Mountain Dew to website quizzes on which household items you remember from the '70s or '80s) draw on our collective memories of experiences past.</p><p>Even Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by nostalgia in the form of the Ghost of Christmas Past, which brought him back to his childhood. For a while, he enjoyed it: happy scenes like his beloved sister Fan, a Christmas party hosted by his former boss, Mr. Fezziwig, who treated him like a son, and his fiancée Belle.</p><p>But when the ghost showed him a scene of Belle ending their relationship because she couldn’t be with a man who loved money more than her, the reality was too much for Scrooge:</p><blockquote><p><strong>“Spirit.” said Scrooge in a broken voice, “remove me from this place.”</strong></p><p><strong>“I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,” said the Ghost. “That they are what they are, do not blame me.”</strong></p><p><strong>“Remove me.” Scrooge exclaimed, “I cannot bear it.”</strong></p></blockquote><div class="captioned-image-container"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Il0F75tcqfI/X9EVpXTzYiI/AAAAAAABQc0/WzEoMqzuJksN7seKJG74nFtCBRD_bo9cgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1079/John%2BLeech%2B-%2BScrooge%2BExtinguishes%2Bthe%2BFirst%2Bof%2BThree%2BSpirits%252C%2B1843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="852" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Il0F75tcqfI/X9EVpXTzYiI/AAAAAAABQc0/WzEoMqzuJksN7seKJG74nFtCBRD_bo9cgCLcBGAsYHQ/w316-h400/John%2BLeech%2B-%2BScrooge%2BExtinguishes%2Bthe%2BFirst%2Bof%2BThree%2BSpirits%252C%2B1843.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Scrooge Extinguishes the First of Three Spirits</i> by John Leech, 1843 <br />(Scanned image by <a href="http://www.victorianweb.org/misc/pvabio.html" style="text-align: left;">Philip V. Allingham</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /><br /></figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>Marc Auge wrote, “tell me what you forget and I will tell you who you are.” When we gloss over our past or even introduce a romantic, nostalgic element to it, we do a disservice to ourselves and to others.</p><p>When we share stories of our past, it’s perfectly acceptable to yearn for them again. At the same time, we might yearn for a better future by learning from our past.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />I'll be back on Friday, but for paid subscribers only. Lots of links and another essay, as well as a book and podcast recommendation. Click below to join.</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>This originally appeared in the December 9 issue of the <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/" style="color: #280170; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div>

Why Nostalgia Clouds Our Judgment

  Miranda  by John William Waterhouse, 1875 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Miranda is the dau...

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Grand Symbols Produce Great Expectations

<div style="text-align: left;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0Ro0tH3npE/X8dG9CBMu-I/AAAAAAABQSw/F35i5UUqPgMLkbcV5GCG-mwOJ-Bqy4mRACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Abraham%2BLouis%2BRodolphe%2BDucros%2B-%2BThe%2BColosseum%252C%2BRome%2B%2528no%2Bdate%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="2048" height="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0Ro0tH3npE/X8dG9CBMu-I/AAAAAAABQSw/F35i5UUqPgMLkbcV5GCG-mwOJ-Bqy4mRACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h432/Abraham%2BLouis%2BRodolphe%2BDucros%2B-%2BThe%2BColosseum%252C%2BRome%2B%2528no%2Bdate%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/334465">The Colosseum, Rome</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros, n.d. (public domain - Metropolitan Museum of Art)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— G.K. Chesterton, 1908</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />I've been thinking a lot about traditions lately. With the holiday season upon us—as we make the stretch from Thanksgiving to the New Year, it's typically laden with traditions.</p><p>Family gatherings, favorite recipes, old decorations, traveling. Individually, these are actions we take that represent the customs we've chosen to maintain.</p><p>But in 2020, with the pandemic bearing down upon us, we've had to forgo some of those traditions. Particularly of the travel and extended family variety. It's a painful reminder that we're not anywhere near being normal, and it forces us to wonder: what new traditions will come out of this?</p><p>We like to think that traditions are immutable customs that we've been repeating for generations, sacrosanct and impervious to the buffets of modern life. They're not manmade like a piece of art, but they grow as a result of the things we do voluntarily rather than instinctively. Our traditions are a matter of choices that we make along the way.</p><p>Since my parents were born right up until I left for college (a timespan of 40-50 years), they understood and participated in the weekly tradition of Sunday dinner with the family (parents, grandparents, etc.). When everyone in the family lived in the same town (or even on the same street!), this was simply how it was done.</p><p>Now, we're scattered to various parts of the country and the frequent dining and visits aren't a tradition. And it's painful to the generation that knew nothing else. To the next generation that never experienced these events, it's not even a subconscious memory. All that remains are the stories we tell each other about our grandparents, our childhood, and other memories of what we did.</p><p><br /></p><h3><strong>Symbols tell powerful stories</strong></h3><p>While we can't necessarily keep every tradition alive, we do have artifacts that help remind us of where we came from and what was important to us. A family portrait, grandmother's china, grandfather's pocket watch, or other mementoes that were strongly associated with a person or event.</p><p>Each year after Thanksgiving, my family decorates our Christmas tree. And each year, decorations and boxes of ornaments seem to be more onerous as they seem to multiply while they're hidden away eleven months a year in the storage area. What was a purely joyous tradition now feels like more like a task. Except.</p><p>Except there's a spark of excitement that's kept alive. It's there in each of us, but it's quickly coaxed to first to a full flame, then to a roaring bonfire—thanks to the pure excitement and joy of our seven year-old daughter.</p><p>She's been looking forward to this with the same intensity as if it were Christmas morning. And the thing is, her cheerfulness exhilarates us in turn.</p><p>The very act of bringing home a tree and putting it in the stand (just some manual labor combined with a sense of balance and the ability to eyeball a plumb line) initiated her elation. Not even the annual “let's find the dead bulb” portion of our festooning of the tree could slow her down.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Pictures painted in childhood are painted in bright hues.”</strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Kate Douglas Wiggin, 1886</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p>The tree itself is a symbol for everything about our Christmas. It means our family gathers around it, we unbox old ornaments and share memories, we drink hot cocoa and listen to Christmas songs on Spotify, all while working diligently to fill the tree — recalling that one time that we overloaded one side of the tree, causing it to tip over.</p><p>All of those memories are triggered by virtue of simply putting the tree in the living room.</p><p>Consider the symbols that humans instantly recognize and what they've meant over the years. The aquila was the golden standard carried by each Roman legion. The gold eagle not only represented each legion but the honor of Rome itself. If they lost a standard, it was considered a grave offense.</p><p><a href="https://www.royalwarrant.org/">Royal Warrants</a> are marks of excellence granted to companies that provide products and services to Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales. Grantees are entitled to display the royal arms on their products or places of business, thus demonstrating that they're highly sought after brands.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMWcqtWvMI4/X8dHcd4V37I/AAAAAAABQS8/denhotnIPqADMqU2EnYQ7OmDmqEty1ZeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/royalwarrants.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMWcqtWvMI4/X8dHcd4V37I/AAAAAAABQS8/denhotnIPqADMqU2EnYQ7OmDmqEty1ZeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/royalwarrants.png" /></a></div><br /><p>The Nike swoosh, the Apple logo, and even audio logos such as Netflix's “<a href="https://youtu.be/GV3HUDMQ-F8">ta-DUM</a>,” <em>Law & Order's</em> “<a href="https://youtu.be/gP3MuUTmXNk">doink-doink</a>,” or HBO's <a href="https://youtu.be/ZC_uTMkmH08">ident</a> are all powerful symbols. We know what's coming or what's expected when we see them.</p><p>The choices we make, the habits we form, the traditions we build are all connected to symbolism, whether we realize it or not.</p><p>To put it another way, everything communicates.</p><p>And as leaders tasked with communicating to our stakeholders, whether they're employees, customers, investors, the public, friends or family members, every word we utter and every setting we're in will be scrutinized.</p><p>Lest you doubt me, I refer you to The Curious Incident of the Tiny Desk.</p><p>I rest my case.</p><h2><strong><br />An iconic landmark lends its name</strong></h2><p>There's another icon that immediately brings to mind sophistication, pageantry, and centuries of tradition: <strong>Highclere Castle</strong>. Otherwise known as the mansion used in <em>Downton Abbey</em>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t6aUCZXlxXY/X8dHlBEl2dI/AAAAAAABQTA/aoMArwPnyZIo-4AW3KlpY_zbFRyxzH4mACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/HighclereCastle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1433" data-original-width="2048" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t6aUCZXlxXY/X8dHlBEl2dI/AAAAAAABQTA/aoMArwPnyZIo-4AW3KlpY_zbFRyxzH4mACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h448/HighclereCastle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The home and its estate have been used in a number of productions before (my favorite being <em>Jeeves & Wooster</em> with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, where it stood in for Totleigh Towers), and it is instantly recognizable.</p><p>Imagine my surprise then, when I received a note from the purveyors of <strong><a href="https://www.highclerecastlespirits.com/">Highclere Castle Gin</a></strong>. While I'm a gin drinker, I'm not a reviewer. But I had to know more about the choice of this symbol of luxury with respect to this spirit.</p><p>The background materials told me the estate is a visible link to history: over 1,000 acres of parkland surrounded by rolling hills and containing the finest occupied Victorian mansion in England. The 8th Earl of Carnarvon and Lady Carnarvon are part of a family that has lived in the home for more than 300 years.</p><p>But this isn't the case of taking a recognizable symbol like Highclere and simply slapping it on a bottle of gin. As it happens, the ingredients and the distillation process are authentically Highclere, as you’ll learn below.</p><p>In short, this product not only came with a symbol, it came with a story as well. A story that involves history and the modern era. In short, the kind of thing appropriate for <em><strong>Timeless & Timely</strong></em>.</p><p>So I reached out to <strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamvongootkin/">Adam von Gootkin</a></strong>, a spirits entrepreneur who, together with the Earl and Lady Carnarvon, founded Highclere Castle Gin, to understand more about his vision.</p><p>The following are excerpts from our interview.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h4><strong>Timeless & Timely: What is it about gin that makes it so popular — not only in recent years, but as a timeless classic?</strong></h4><p><strong>Adam von Gootkin:</strong> I think consumers are rediscovering that gin adds a level of sophistication to cocktails that vodka cannot. Vodka, of course is defined as flavorless, odorless alcohol molecules which when described like that hardly makes me think of a luxurious decadent flavor extravaganza.</p><p>Gin is both ancient while incorporating the beautiful botanical notes that lend themselves to a complex or simple cocktail and ultimately to a flavor experience that the more refined customer is seeking. With Highclere Castle Gin this is expressed in the liquified heritage and history of Highclere Castle, the hundreds of years of the highest quality of entertaining with gin and of course the integrating of the beautiful citrus and botanicals from the Highclere estate. </p><p>Before prohibition the cocktail concept was rather new. On the world stage there existed gin, scotch, rum, cognac and bourbon as more or less the only players in spirits. As the cocktail culture developed, gin took center stage in the ability to bring to life beautiful cocktails.<br /><br /></p><p></p><h4><strong>Gin had its origins as a medicinal drink, and later was used to mask the flavor of quinine, the antimalarial compound. Given this background, what has it been like selling gin during a global pandemic? What challenges did you face and how did you address them? Has 2020, beyond the obvious, brought any surprises to you as a founder?</strong></h4><p>In 2019 global demand for our gin was growing at a rate that we didn’t expect. We launched 25 US markets in addition to the UK, France and Switzerland. By the time the pandemic hit, we were just beginning our first spring cocktail gin and tonic season with plans to expand in Europe, Canada, US and Latin America. Obviously as the hospitality industry shut down as did many of our distributers, we were left with fantastic launch plans and no launches, strategies bereft of tactics.</p><p>We realized we needed an entirely new strategy to be expressed with nimble tactics. This resulted in plans to focus on core markets going deep with our key retailers and restaurants that were the best in their market and the greatest fit for Highclere Castle Gin. We have accomplished this and have learned much through this pivot.</p><p>My belief is if you can successfully survive a global shut down while protecting your team and the integrity of the brand and still be prepared to come out swinging that you are in fact a business with a reason to exist. Highclere Castle has survived a multitude of global calamities, struggles and challenges and yet will be here a hundred years from now. And so will Highclere Castle Gin.<br /><br /></p><p></p><h4><strong>What was your strategy to make the brand stand out?</strong></h4><p>In a world where the vast majority are concocted in marketing boardrooms, I find it rather easy to stand out when you have a true commitment to authenticity. Highclere Castle Gin is a spirit that redefines the gin category.</p><p>Through the commitment of sustainable farming, the protection of ancient botanical gardens, and the stories of Highclere’s exceptional level of hospitality and hosting many of the worlds most interesting people over gin cocktails we bring to life a brand that represents the noble aspiration of being the very best. </p><p>In terms of our marketing strategy, I believe that advertising in general is a tax you pay for not being creative. We are very social media- and PR-oriented to tell the soul of our brand’s story. Lady Carnarvon does the most amazing job from the castle and our team further amplifies the beauty and uniqueness of Highclere Castle Gin throughout the world.<br /><br /></p><p></p><h4><strong>When there are so many gimmicky marketing and branding efforts, just what is it about Highclere Castle Gin that makes it more authentic than others?</strong></h4><p>First, Highclere Castle is real place. A special place representing the best of British hospitality, lifestyle, customs, and traditions. It is both a working estate, a farm, a country home. There to provide beauty and pleasure to the public and memories and experience for special guests.</p><p>Highclere Castle Gin represents the style of country living and the pedigree of the eight generations of Earls of Carnarvons who have placed their hearts and souls into maintaining the standard. Lord and Lady Carnarvon are active partners in the business, both caring for the botanicals and taking a strong lead in the brand ambassadorship. Ultimately the castle and the estate are the brand’s home and people come from around the world to experience it.</p><p>Second, the most important thing about any spirit is the flavor. We invested over a year and a half on the recipe design. Neither time nor cost was our God. The mission, to create the finest gin that has ever been birthed from a copper still. Connoisseurs from around the world are spreading the world that it’s the first gin you can actually sip on the rocks and it’s brilliant in how it shines in cocktails.</p><p>Lastly, Highclere Castle Gin is distilled in England’s oldest gin distillery located above an ancient underground water source. It is hand crafted and distilled in England’s oldest copper gin still. We spent over four years developing the brand including the recipe, bottle design and finding the right partners to distribute it carefully and thoughtfully around the world.</p><div><hr /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCYchwJae2I/X8dIRu2HdwI/AAAAAAABQTU/uwx8sLeqgzc8kms1aPMwjumjCmqjhGhOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1232/Highclere%2BGin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1232" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCYchwJae2I/X8dIRu2HdwI/AAAAAAABQTU/uwx8sLeqgzc8kms1aPMwjumjCmqjhGhOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Highclere%2BGin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Just another day at the office</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><br /></figure></div><p>As you can see, the bottle itself is iconic. And after tasting the gin myself, there's no gimmick about this. It's earned its place as a favorite in my home bar.</p><p>Let's call it one of the new traditions we're establishing over the holidays.</p><p>May the traditions you create and follow be surrounded by anticipation, expectation, and fulfillment.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><em><strong>Disclosure</strong>: I was provided one bottle of Highclere Castle Gin from the distributors.</em></p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I'll be back on Friday, but for paid subscribers only. Lots of links and another essay, as well as a book recommendation you won't want to miss. Click below to join.</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>This originally appeared in the December 2 issue of the <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/" style="color: #280170; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div>

Grand Symbols Produce Great Expectations

  The Colosseum, Rome  by Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros, n.d. (public domain - Metropolitan Museum of Art) “Tradition means giving votes to ...

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Big Country for Leadership

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7CDRg4jL3c/X7VHxd0Sn1I/AAAAAAABQHQ/fa_uwcGcx8MqhG5H2QdwgIcxBnugH3h3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1023/Albert%2BBierstadt%2B-%2BAmong%2Bthe%2BSierra%2BNevada%252C%2BCalifornia.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1023" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7CDRg4jL3c/X7VHxd0Sn1I/AAAAAAABQHQ/fa_uwcGcx8MqhG5H2QdwgIcxBnugH3h3gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h382/Albert%2BBierstadt%2B-%2BAmong%2Bthe%2BSierra%2BNevada%252C%2BCalifornia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Bierstadt_-_Among_the_Sierra_Nevada,_California_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">Among the Sierra Nevada, California</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Albert Bierstadt, 1868 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>"And this our life, exempt from public haunt,</strong></em></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,</strong></em></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>Sermons in stones, and good in every thing."</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— William Shakespeare, 1599</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />We can find inspiration anywhere we look, if we keep the proper mindset.</p><p>Gratitude combined with curiosity — being a lifelong learner — is a formula that can set us up for success.</p><p>I usually pull stories from history or literature as guides for leadership and communication. In this case, I'm going to switch it up a bit.</p><p>Last week I came across a scene in the 1958 Academy Award-winning film <em><strong><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051411/">The Big Country</a></strong></em> that gave me pause.</p><p>In this edition of Timeless & Timely, I'm going to take you through the scene and point out some key takeaways for leaders. And in a gutsy move, in Friday's edition I'm going to analyze the "Main Title" from the soundtrack by Jerome Moss as one befitting leaders. You won't want to miss that, so <b><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/suscribe" target="_blank">sign up as a paid subscriber now</a></b>.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><br />The Big Country</em> is an epic Western directed by William Wyler (who also directed <em>Ben Hur</em>, <em>Roman Holiday</em>, <em>The Best Years of Our Lives</em>) and starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Burl Ives, Charlton Heston and Chuck Connors. It follows retired sea captain <strong>James McKay</strong> (Peck) who heads out west to meet up with his fiancée and her family, the Terrills.</p><p>The Terrills are ranchers have an ongoing feud with another family of ranchers, the Hannasseys. (Incidentally, a recent issue of the newsletter, "<strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/concession-stand">Concession Stand</a></strong>," concerned feuds.) Burl Ives plays <strong>Rufus</strong>, the clan's father; Chuck Connors plays his hot-headed son <strong>Buck</strong>.</p><p>Between the two properties is an abandoned ranch house called "Big Muddy" which sits on land that includes the river that's a source of water for both sets of cattle, particularly during times of drought. <strong>Julie Maragon</strong> (Simmons) owns the house and sells it to McKay, who agrees to continue her tradition of allowing both families' cattle access to the river.</p><p>Meanwhile, Buck tries to persuade Rufus that he is planning to marry Julie. Buck brings her to the Hannessey's, in hopes of persuading her to sell Big Muddy to him and get married, but Julie reveals that she sold it already, and Rufus realizes her interest is in McKay.</p><p>Because he knows the <strong>Major</strong> (head of the Terrill family) will attempt to rescue her, Buck takes Julie hostage, hoping to ambush him in the canyon leading to his homestead. Although McKay personally promises Rufus equal access to the water, he finds himself in a clash with Buck, which is ultimately settled with a duel—a duel with the very set of dueling pistols that McKay presented to the Major.</p><p>And here we pick up at <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/Hw2D9eFrIao">the duel scene</a></strong>:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hw2D9eFrIao" width="560"></iframe></p><p><br />This scene is one of the reasons Burl Ives received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this film. It’s a powerful demonstration of conflicting emotions.</p><p>Duels are based on a code of honor—typically honor that the challenger wishes to restore. Participants are expected to act with honor in carrying out the duel, and that also goes for the seconds, who act as representatives to the two parties.</p><p>In the case of the duel in <em>The Big Country</em>, Rufus acted as a neutral second for Buck and McKay, laying out the rules very plainly:</p><p><em><strong>“If either man tries to beat the signal, it's my duty to shoot him down like a dog, and I'll do it. So help me. This thing's gonna be done right and proper.”</strong></em></p><p>Buck fires before the signal, but misses, his bullet grazing McKay's forehead and leaving McKay with a free shot. As McKay prepares his shot, Buck responds in a craven and cowardly way, attempting to fire the pistol again and then cowering in fear as he hides behind a wagon wheel.</p><p>Rufus knows that the duel must be completed in the right and honorable way. We can see him struggling with his role and his underlying emotions, knowing that his son is a coward and violated the rules, as he insists McKay take his shot.</p><p>McKay, thoroughly disgusted by Buck's behavior, fires his shot into the ground, thereby requiring Rufus to fulfill his prophecy. Seeing an opportunity to kill McKay, Buck snatches another gun from a nearby cowboy. Rufus shoots him on the spot.</p><p>As Rufus approaches Buck, he varies between anger and anguish: anger over Buck's repeated dishonorable actions, even after Rufus warned him. And anguish over having to shoot his own son, who then dies in his arms.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Leadership Lessons</strong></h2><p>Both McKay and Rufus give us lessons here. Lessons on de-escalation, grace, integrity, honor, and making difficult choices.</p><p>Buck is eager to fight, goading McKay on, while McKay prefers to settle things amicably, as evidenced through his willingness to allow both families' cattle access to his land. He clearly doesn't like confrontation, and even when he has a chance to honorably kill his opponent, he chooses to de-escalate. He handles himself with <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/god-shed-his-grace-on-thee">grace</a></strong>.</p><p>We all have situations in which we find ourselves when we might humiliate a competitor or a peer. It's the easy thing to do (and in some cases, it the schadenfreude might feel good). But it's not honorable. If we allow them to save face or to make their own choices in such situations, we'll show them the importance of grace and generosity in leadership.</p><p>Rufus does what every good leader should do: he communicates his vision and intention clearly, using plainspoken language. When faced with a situation that tests his moral compass, he keeps his true north, as difficult as it was. He knew that his honor and integrity rested on <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/say-what-you-do-and-do-what-you-say">staying true to his word</a></strong>.</p><p>If you're going to stand for something—so many brands claiming the moral high ground with "purpose-based marketing" these days—then you need to exhibit it at every turn. It's not enough to slap "purpose" on something, in the way that many companies have hidden behind their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.</p><p>Purpose, values, and integrity are inextricably linked. The moment you act in a way that violates one of them, the whole house of cards comes down.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p>I'll be back later this week for subscribers with some commentary on Jerome Moross's theme to <i>The Big Country</i> and how it showed leadership. I hope you'll <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">join as a subscriber</a></strong> to get that.</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>This originally appeared in the November 18 issue of the <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/" style="color: #280170; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div>

Big Country for Leadership

Among the Sierra Nevada, California  by Albert Bierstadt, 1868 (public domain - Wikipedia) "And this our life, exempt from public haunt...

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