Is it just me or is the public language from senior leaders across the world feeling more like a schoolyard spat than the measured, thoughtful communication you’d hope for from people in positions of global influence?​

​And here are my musings on why it feels so jarring to me, given the work I do:

​➡️ Leaders set the tone. When the language becomes combative, casual, or dismissive, it can feel like the bar for public discourse is being lowered.​

➡️ We’re used to a certain level of decorum in political communication, especially from cabinets or heads of state. When that slips, it stands out.​

➡️ Media amplifies the most dramatic moments, so the “playground speak” gets more airtime than the thoughtful policy explanations.​

➡️ Working with leaders, I create spaces where language is a tool for safety, clarity, and connection. When leaders model the opposite, it grates.​

​I think my deeper frustration is that it’s not just the words. It’s what they signal. It feels as if it’s the antithesis of what I work so hard to help people and organisations create:

🤨 A lack of emotional regulation​

🤨 A performative style of leadership​

🤨 A missed opportunity to model constructive disagreement​

🤨 A sense that complexity is being flattened into soundbites​

​I think over recent years we have seen political communication globally shift towards​:

➡️ Short, punchy, emotionally-charged language​

➡️ Identity-based messaging​

➡️ Conflict as a communication strategy​

​Some analysts argue it’s a response to social media dynamics; others say it’s a deliberate tactic to energise supporters. Either way, I find it exhausting to witness.​

​So, my question to you is, what do you think good role-modelling in public leadership language looks like? Is it:

❓ Calm clarity​

❓ Values-led communication​

❓ Accountability​

❓ Nuance​

❓ Or something else entirely​

I look forward to hearing your responses​.