Daily Compass

People show moral leadership in many ways. I have long admired Dolly Parton for her music, her connection to the people where she grew up, and her quiet moral leadership expressed simply as “God loves everybody.” When she was asked to write a song for the movie Transamerica, she decided she could not do so until she understood the struggles and journeys of transgender people–so she set out to do that. Her song, “Travelin’ Thru” is deeply compassionate and humanizing, in a world that so often denies our transgender siblings either. -Michael Tino (CLF)

What are unusual examples of moral leadership that you have experienced?

Years ago, when I defended my doctoral dissertation, the very first question my committee asked me was, “So what?” After an hour-long talk and 200-plus pages of writing, they insisted I be able to tell them what difference my research made. I will never forget that moment of challenge and clarity, and I often come back to it to measure the work I do now. What difference does it make? How would I answer that question today? -Michael Tino (CLF)

Tell us about a “so what” moment in your life, when you realized what difference you were making.

Sometimes leadership means publicly setting healthy and robust boundaries. It means understanding that even if we honor the inherent dignity and worthiness of all people, the same is not true for all behaviors. Sometimes, it means saying no.

How have you witnessed leadership setting healthy boundaries?

“Resistance to white supremacy and resistance to the Klan go back much further and are far broader than can be encompassed under the banner of anti-fascism. Obviously, resistance to white supremacy goes back to 1492. It goes back to resistance of slavery. It goes back to John Brown and Ida B. Wells, and so forth. It also has a tradition in the radical elements of the labor movement, the Industrial Workers of the World having battled against the Klan in the 1920s. You can look at the Deacons for Defense, the Black Panthers and other kinds of militant opposition to white supremacy.” -Mark Bray, historian, in “In These Times”

How can you be part of the resistance to white supremacy and fascism?

“Trust is built in the smallest moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.” -Brené Brown

Pay attention today and earn someone’s trust.