Throw a pebble into a calm pond.
Tiny, perfectly circular ripples radiate outward, each ring larger than the last. The pebble disappears beneath the surface, but its impact continues to move outward, expanding and shaping the still water into motion.
Leadership operates in a similar way. Every action taken by those in power, whether ethical or not, emits waves that influence the moral outlook of a nation. When a leader acts with integrity, these waves of confidence, civility, and trust spread. But when that leader acts without conscience, the waves send a different message, encouraging others to ignore what is right, or worse, permitting everyone to behave selfishly.
We all observe leaders at work or in government offices for behavioral cues: how they act when everyone is watching and when they think no one is paying attention. Character is shown by what someone does, not by what they say. It does not take long to form an opinion. If a leader lies without punishment, a public official enriches themselves while preaching patriotism, and a government punishes truth-tellers while rewarding loyalists, then deceit soon becomes the norm. Citizens begin to believe that honesty is for fools and that ethics are optional.
What does it say about a leader who calls his citizen opponents “lunatics” or haters of America, demands the prosecution and jailing of perceived enemies, and then approves AI-generated videos of himself flying a fighter jet while wearing a golden crown, dropping excrement on his own citizens?
The late Medal of Honor recipient and Vice Admiral James Stockdale, whose conduct as a prisoner at the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War revealed an unparalleled example of leadership and humility, once said, “Great leaders gain authority by giving it away.”
But distortion has become the currency of the realm. When leaders realize they can say anything and their followers will accept it, integrity becomes meaningless. Truth yields to the will of power.
The gentle concentric waves swell into a tsunami of hate, drowning all semblance of civic decency.
Mockery is not a sign of strength; it is a form of projection. Leaders who dehumanize their critics reveal a lack of confidence, not courage. When self-glorification becomes the main message and a man treats his followers’ suffering as a meme, the effects are not just waves of cynicism—they are waves of moral corruption.
The leader’s contempt seeps into public discourse until cruelty disguises itself as courage and absurdity as authenticity. Once that occurs, the pond is no longer calm or clear; truth, accountability, and empathy sink beneath the surface noise of applause and outrage.
The great paradox of modern leadership is that too many confuse spectacle with service and greatness. This also reveals a callous and tone-deaf attitude toward those who face hardship and suffering. We have entered the Gatsby era of politics, characterized by lavish parties and fireworks, while those harmed by the partygoers’ actions stand outside. The crowd gathers to celebrate the performance, not the purpose.
What has become of the idea of respecting the people?
A true leader does not stand above the people like Gatsby on a balcony; he walks among them. Or better yet, as the old Chinese proverb reminds us, “To lead the people, walk behind them.”
Authentic leadership is humble, not theatrical. It does not demand loyalty oaths or blind applause. It does not need to invent enemies or belittle opponents. And it never asks others to do what the leader himself would not do. The authentic leader sets the standard by example, not by decree.
Entitlement and privilege corrupt.
Unethical leadership lowers the moral standard of an entire culture. When the public sees corruption rewarded, lies tolerated, and cruelty applauded, it begins to justify the same behavior. The infection spreads from the highest offices to local communities, from government to schools, until ethical decline becomes a regular part of life.
As philosopher Hannah Arendt warned, “The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” It begins not with monsters but with moral drift—the shrug that says, “Everybody does it.”
But the opposite is also true. Acts of integrity, even small ones, produce their own ripples. A journalist refuses to lie for clicks. A teacher emphasizes truth over comfort. A citizen speaks out when it would be easier to stay silent. These choices, multiplied across a community, can restore clarity to the water.
We might not control who throws the first pebble, but we do control how far its ripples go.