Silent Leadership is Not the Same as Leadership Silence.

Silent leadership is the quiet action we take when we lead by example. It is the action we take when we stand with others rather than merely making empty promises or hypocritical statements. It is the impact that backs up our words. It is being integral and having people "do as I as do" rather than "do as I say I do". Silent leadership action supports the verbiage that is trotted out as to efforts around inclusion of diverse lived experiences and commitment to equity. It does not give mere verbal lip service. Silent leadership does not hide behind public personas or lead by hypocrisy. It is integrity in action. It is living into being an impactful leader. Silent leadership seeks out knowledge and education in order to expand their own understanding and context of the world around them, they do not blindly follow others or hype.

Leadership silence is an entirely different matter. Leadership silence is choosing to being silent when one needs to speak up. It is shaming or gaslighting others into silence when one does not like what those "others" have to say; demean/diminish the lived experience of the other, wants to dismiss the concerns that they raise; or attempts to make the other feel at fault for a situation in which they indeed have no blame at all. Leadership silence is coercing others into staying quiet for one's own gain. It is signaling one's stance to those one influences by what is not said on topics in which the leader also want those followers to stay silent. It is staying in a state of willful ignorance about an issue or conflict so that there is the alibi of ignorance, when in fact the silence is merely complicit-ness, because deep down one knows better. Leadership silence is not a trait of good leadership, it is toxic abuse of one's influence.

Good leadership knows the difference.

And always... I believe we are all leaders. We all influence someone. Choose good leadership.