TheMaverickSergeant

This article was first published in Wavell Room 'Do not let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition'  ~ Steve Jobs This article argues that military personnel need to take more care with the language they accept and consider the words they use more carefully. The example I use is; lizard. Leaders often don’t realise when they use or accept degrading language and it undermines our ability to lead. And yet, the fundamental problem here is not a misuse of words. It is the absence of a culture that embraces reasonable challenge and isn’t curious enough about the words in use or what they mean. This inadvertently permits sexism and other unacceptable behaviours. The solution? Leaders must be more curious about the words they use, what they really mean, and the impact they have. Moving from lazy insults to only using, and accepting, professional language will make us more effective and