Leadership, Politics, and the Ethics of Silence

silence in the face of harm is not neutrality… It is complicity.

Recently, I received feedback that some members of my community were uncomfortable with my comments about the latest U.S. election and its implications for democracy.

That’s fair feedback. And it’s also complicated.

I have never been good with self-censorship.

I believe self-censorship is one of the reasons authoritarianism thrives.

When people hesitate to name what is happening, when they worry more about being palatable than being honest, it creates space for dangerous ideas to take hold.

I saw this firsthand in corporate America when I worked at Google and spoke up about toxic leadership and unconscious business practices.

I saw what happens when people prioritize profit and power over human dignity.

I also saw what happens to those who refuse to stay silent.

Speaking up likely played a role in my layoff.

That experience did not teach me to be quiet.

It reinforced my commitment to never stop questioning, never stop advocating, and never stop calling out systems that harm people.

And here we are again.

What is happening in the United States today is not just politics. It is a playbook I have studied for decades.

Before my time in tech, I spent years studying political communication and propaganda in graduate school. I researched how misinformation, disinformation, and psychological manipulation have been used throughout history to prop up authoritarian regimes and control entire populations.

Hell, I even used some of those techniques in my own marketing for my businesses.

So when I see the rhetoric being used today, when I see entire movements built on fear, resentment, and fabricated enemies, I do not just see a political party. I see a long historical pattern of control.

I see tactics that have been used to silence dissent, erode democracy, and manufacture consent for harmful policies. I see how seemingly rational people get swept into ideologies that, step-by-step, normalize the unacceptable.

I also see how people convince themselves that remaining neutral is the safest option.

It is not.

Leadership is about understanding how power is used, who it benefits, and who it harms.

It is about recognizing that silence in the face of harm is not neutrality… It is complicity.

For me, this is not abstract. My trans, Jewish, immigrant, and poor friends, family, and clients are being directly impacted by what is happening. As a Jew and a great-grandson of immigrants, I refuse to be quiet.

As a humanist, and advocate for conscious leadership, I refuse to be quiet.

We know where that leads.

History has shown us repeatedly what happens when people look the other way.

When they tell themselves it is not that bad. When they believe that extreme rhetoric will fade on its own.

It never does. It escalates.

The people who see the danger most clearly are often the first to be silenced. Ironic, as it was the anxious monkeys that we evolved from.

At the same time, I refuse to shut people out completely.

I will listen.

I will seek to understand.

I will look for common ground.

But let’s be honest. In some areas, we are not talking about a difference of opinion.

We are talking about a misalignment of values, ideology, and worldview.

So I have to ask:

• At what point does “keeping an open mind” turn into looking the other way?

• If your values, ideology, and worldview tolerates silence in the face of oppression and authoritarianism, what are you really standing for?

I encourage others to lead their own Quiet Rebellion in ways that feel right for them.

But I also recognize my privilege, my platform, my experience, my position and my responsibility.

I am in a place where I do not have to be quiet.

And because of that, I will not be.

These are my personal opinions.