Scott Monty

The Good Faith Antagonist

<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/-7hGaIii3tZU/YBDrhgoVYMI/AAAAAAABRmQ/tKh3M-umK5gjdOxbAP7b6CJZ61kVrbrlwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1479/Claude%2BMonet%2B-%2BSnow%2BScene%2Bat%2BArgenteuil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1479" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hGaIii3tZU/YBDrhgoVYMI/AAAAAAABRmQ/tKh3M-umK5gjdOxbAP7b6CJZ61kVrbrlwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h522/Claude%2BMonet%2B-%2BSnow%2BScene%2Bat%2BArgenteuil.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_monet,_neve_ad_argenteuil,_1875.JPG#/media/File:Claude_monet,_neve_ad_argenteuil,_1875.JPG">Snow Scene at Argenteuil</a> by Claude Monet, 1875 (public domain - Sailko, Wikipedia)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"> </figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> “Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence.” </div><div style="text-align: right;">— William Blake, 1790 </div><div><hr /></div> I love my seven year-old daughter. She’s filled with energy and excited to greet each new day (albeit much earlier than the rest of our household).Yesterday morning, we awoke to a particular silence in the neighborhood. That sense of calm and quiet that accompanies a blanket of snow, only to be pierced by the passing snowplow.There’s a reverie—ever so brief—as the mind wanders to memories of childhood, when such days would herald an extra early departure of Dad for work as he braved the slippery roads; a sense of anxiety as we listened to the radio, anticipating for our school to be announced as one of the cancellations; and the first of many sojourns outside to frolic in the winter wonderland of our neighborhood.A snow day as an adult—particularly one well-versed in working from home—doesn't hold the same level of freedom and joy as it once did. Outside in the stillness and cold, the driveway and sidewalks await plowing, but the bed covers act as a temporary talisman against their pull.And inside, a rambunctious child doesn’t understand the concept of sleeping in. <div><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> “I am no longer good through deliberate intent, but by long habit have reached a point where I am not only able to do right, but am unable to do anything but what is right.” </div><div style="text-align: right;">— Seneca, 65 </div><div><hr /></div> Once we’re downstairs and fed—she, a bowl of Fruit Loops and me, a bowl of steel cut oatmeal—I summon my best Wordsworth and announce that duty awaits.<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">“Stern Daughter of the Voice of God!O Duty! if that name thou loveWho art a light to guide, a rodTo check the erring, and reprove”</blockquote>And then, without hesitation, I hear from her the question I still pray my teenage sons will someday learn:<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">“Can I help?”</blockquote>Now, there’s something you need to understand about Grace. While she’s always happy to put in the hard work and eager to help, she’s—how shall I put this?—not quite a skilled laborer. Her shoveling leaves more of a mess than what she attempts to remove.But I know that if I refuse her sweet offer, there will be tears (hers).I also know that if I accept her sweet offer, there will be tears (mine).So I cheerfully encourage her assistance.And as predicted, try as she might, she had neither the skill nor the equipment to do a diligent job. At that point, my job was to encourage rather than discourage her. We all find ourselves at that point in a work situation, when presented with facts and a colleague with a hopeful look on their face, we’re expected to give the “yeah, sure” rubber stamp of feedback.But there are times when we just can’t.You’ve probably used the term “devil’s advocate” before, meaning that you’re taking up an opposing viewpoint for the sake of playing out a mini-debate with someone.You don’t necessarily espouse the position you’re staking out, but you’re presenting it for the sake of argument, to ensure your partner in rhetoric is thinking through their position.Now, let’s be clear: this is different from being an outright antagonist. An antagonist counters every position and makes arguments purely for the sake of doing so, with no intended outcome other than to fluster or simply be negative. He is a contrarian for a contrarian’s sake. <div><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">“Quarreling must lead to disorder, and disorder exhaustion.” </div><div style="text-align: right;">— Xunzi, c. 250 BC</div><div style="text-align: right;"> </div><div><hr /></div> <h2 style="text-align: left;">Origins of the Devil’s Advocate</h2>A devil’s advocate has a much more strategic and intentional role. The phrase has its roots in Roman Catholicism, from the process of beatification or canonization of saints.The Promoter of the Faith was an official position within the Catholic Church. More popularly known as Advocatus Diaboli (“Devil’s Advocate”), he was tasked with critically examining the life of and miracles attributed to individuals proposed for sainthood. As Devil’s Advocate, the canon lawyer attempts to poke holes during presentation of facts to point out everything unfavorable to the candidate.Pope Sixtus V formally established the office in 1587, although it was on record as having been used under Leo X (1513 – 1521). The office was abolished when Pope John Paul II revised the canonization procedures in 1979.The phrase survives to the present day, as you know, and it’s a practice that happens in plenty of meetings (“Let me just play devil’s advocate for a moment,” is how it usually plays out.).It's a healthy exercise for every leader to undertake: to invite peers and subordinates to challenge you. It keeps you on your toes and requires you to justify your decisions and rationale. <a href="https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2020/08/who-speaks-truth-your-power">The best leaders encourage others to challenge them</a>. <h2 style="text-align: left;">From “No way” to “Yes sir”</h2>Let’s flip this on its head. There are leaders out there who refuse to allow dissent. To question their decisions is to question their ability.Thin-skinned, praise-hungry, and incurably insecure, the weak leader must be propped up, fluffed, and reassured. I was reminded of this in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/podcasts/the-daily/anthony-fauci-donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic.html">yesterday’s episode of </a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/podcasts/the-daily/anthony-fauci-donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic.html">The Daily</a>, on which Donald J. McNeil, Jr. interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci.One of the most central figures during the pandemic, Dr. Fauci often had to present evidence that contradicted the president, offering up his professional opinion that was the opposite of anecdotally-driven medicine. He felt it was his duty to speak up, “<a href="https://pca.st/episode/33870186-13c9-4bfd-9da7-602b9610cc96?t=833.0">Otherwise, I would compromise my own integrity</a> and I would also be giving a false message to the rest of the world.”His ability to force a reality check resulted in an unfortunate nickname: he became known as “the skunk at the picnic.”<div data-pm-context="none"><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;">“Do we want laurels for ourselves most,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Or most that no one else shall have any?” </div>— Amy Lowell, 1922<div data-pm-context="none"><hr /></div> Some leaders simply don’t tolerate skunks. They have no use for a devil’s advocate, and their vizier takes the form of a sycophant.For it is the sycophant who blurs all negatives, obliterates opposition, and obfuscates reality. The leader, so desperate for that which soothes his damaged soul, welcomes this fantasy world and ignores the challenges that are evident to everyone around him. And the “yes men” are only too willing to oblige.This inner circle finds a way to survive and even thrive under such leadership, and tries to work the system for its own benefit. Often such suck-ups will give the boss exactly what he wants to hear, in exchange for favorable treatment for themselves.President Franklin Roosevelt relied on the advice and counsel of Harry Hopkins, his most trusted advisor. One day, Wendell Wilkie, the Republican nominee for president in the 1940 election, asked FDR why he put his faith in Hopkins.Roosevelt replied,<blockquote>“Someday you may well be sitting here where I am now as president of the United States. And when you are, you’ll be looking at that door over there and knowing that practically everybody who walks through it wants something out of you. You’ll learn what a lonely job this is and discover the need for somebody like Harry Hopkins who asks for nothing except to serve you.”</blockquote>There’s a fine line between an antagonist and a sycophant. One provides a hard “no” and the other an easy “yes,” and each is meant to halt or grease a process. <div data-pm-context="none"><hr /></div>“It is permitted to learn even from an enemy.” — Ovid, c. 8 <div data-pm-context="none"><hr /></div> A devil’s advocate is more independent and meant to ask questions and to make us think for ourselves. Advisors or coaches can act as devil’s advocates, as they’re third parties and can be more detached from the situation.The best advisors think broadly and help the C-suite see around corners to prioritize issues, frame problems. They may not have all the answers, but they raise important questions. And they're not afraid to offer a contrary point of view.Every C-suite member should have an advisor who asks the tough questions and raises appropriate objections.If that person turns out to be a skunk at the picnic, so be it.But at least you’ll know that it’s time to think about reconsidering your picnic.Before it snows. <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /> </div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5028772667699714354" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><div>We'll have more on Friday with some for members of the paid subscription tier only.👉 Members receive an additional essay, plus curated stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:<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></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><span class="datex show" style="background-color: #2e2e2e; color: white; display: block; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; left: 15px; padding: 3px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 0px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s; z-index: 0;">

The Good Faith Antagonist

Snow Scene at Argenteuil by Claude Monet, 1875 (public domain - Sailko, Wikipedia) “Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and ...

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;"><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/659888">The Inauguration of Washington</a> by Currier & Ives, 1876 (public domain - Metropolitan Museum)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"> </figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div> “…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.” — George Washington, 1796 <div><hr /></div> Today marks the quadrennial tradition in America when the President of the United States is sworn into office.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.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.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. <div><hr /></div> <div style="text-align: center;">“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.” </div><div style="text-align: right;">— George Washington to James Madison, 1789</div> <div><hr /></div> 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.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.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.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. <div class="captioned-image-container"><figure> <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"><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)</figcaption></figure></div></td></tr></tbody></table> </a></figcaption></figure></div>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.After taking his oath of office, Washington stepped forward to deliver his address. From the very opening, he demonstrated his legendary humility:<blockquote>“[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.”</blockquote>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.On Inauguration Day, his “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.” (Ron Chernow, <a href="https://amzn.to/3qCoYX2">George Washington: A Life</a>, p. 567)Those attributes not only carried the day and foretold Washington’s time in office, setting an example for other presidents yet to come:<h4>Dignity. Integrity. Sacrifice. </h4><div><hr /></div> 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:<blockquote>“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.”</blockquote><blockquote>“…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.”</blockquote>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 “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.”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.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. <div><hr /></div><h3>25 Examples of Civility and Decent Behavior</h3>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.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 <a href="https://amzn.to/3qO1Jth">Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation</a> that dated back to Jesuit scholars in 1595.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.<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>These are some of the most relevant and significant that leaders might still keep in mind today.1st: Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present. [Treat everyone with respect.]6th: Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop.18th: 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.22nd: Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy.35th: Let your discourse with men of business be short and comprehensive. [When you speak, keep it brief.]40th: Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty. [Do not argue with your superior. Submit your ideas with humility.]44th: When a man does all he can though it succeeds not well blame not him that did it. [When a person does his best and fails, do not criticize him.]45th: 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. [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.]46th: 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. [If you are corrected, take it without argument. If you were wrongly judged, correct it later.]47th: 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. [Do not make fun of anything important to others.]48th: Wherein you reprove another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than precepts. [If you criticize someone else of something, make sure you are not guilty of it yourself. Actions speak louder than words.]50th: Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any. [Do not be quick to believe bad reports about others.]56th: Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company. [You’re judged by the company you keep.]58th: 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. [Always allow reason to govern your actions.]59th: Never express anything unbecoming, nor act against the rules moral before your inferiors. [Never break the rules in front of subordinates.]63rd: A man ought not to value himself of his achievements, or rare qualities of wit, much less of his riches virtue or kindred. [A person should not overly value their own accomplishments.]65th: Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor earnest; scoff at none although they give occasion. [Do not insult anyone, even if you are joking.]69th: 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. [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.]70th: Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belongs to parents masters and superiors. [Do not correct others when it is not your place to do so.]73rd: Think before you speak, pronounce not imperfectly nor bring out your words too hastily but orderly and distinctly.74th: 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.79th: 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. [Don’t be quick to talk about something when you don’t have all the facts.]82nd: Undertake not what you cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise. [Don’t start what you can’t finish. Keep your promises.]89th: Speak not evil of the absent for it is unjust. [Do not speak badly of those who are not present.]110th: Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. [Don’t allow yourself to become jaded, cynical, or calloused.] Perhaps it’s worth rereading Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.The leaders we admire and the leaders we should become ought to model decency. Always. <div><hr /></div><h1>One Timely Thing…</h1>Before you go, I wanted to share one present-day inaugural highlight with you, from a recent project.Last month, we received an email from the Biden Inaugural Committee, asking for some help with engagement around the Inauguration.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.And last Friday, I saw this kick off:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">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>— 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> We’re honored to have contributed to the digital communications plan for the Biden Inauguration at this historic moment.And if you're interested in having <a href="https://scottmonty.com">Scott Monty Strategies</a> involved in your strategic communications or executive communications efforts, please feel free to be in touch at inquiries @ scottmonty.com. <div><hr /></div> 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 <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">exclusive subscriber-only updates</a>. </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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