The chilling effects of fear

Over the past eight years I have enjoyed the opportunity to closely observe the work of five separate Speakers of the House and their leadership teams. I have attempted to learn all I can about the strengths and weaknesses of the different leadership styles and apply the lessons I’ve learned.

State Reprenstative Jason Murphey

I have noticed two types of House Speakers. One group created an environment conducive to productivity and resisted the temptation to use the Speaker’s office in a way that creates fear. These Speakers are remembered in a more positive light and maintain the loyalties of their former colleagues even after they leave office. We feel a respect for these individuals, not because we agreed with all their policies, but because of how they treated fellow House members.

The second type of House Speaker deliberately uses fear as a tool to maintain discipline.

He enjoys reminding members of his power by making examples of real and perceived enemies. This results in a toxic environment of fear and trepidation which hides under a delicately maintained facade of happiness and contentment.

This poisonous atmosphere has a chilling effect on policy. No one wants to be next on the enemies’ list, so even the Speaker’s friends are hesitant to speak out too much. Eventually the free flow of ideas begins to dry up, thus significantly compromising the mission given to us by the taxpayer. The Speaker’s inner circle becomes an echo chamber into which honest and truthful advice is not produced.

Perhaps the most heinous results of this type of leadership are the false rumors circulated by the fear-wielder to explain retaliation against perceived enemies or to blunt the effectiveness of those who stand up to him. These rumors seek to take away one of the only things the victim has left: his good name. 

There is a tremendous amount of power vested within the Speaker’s office, and the use of fear to stay in power is extremely effective in the short run. In the long run, however, nearly every House member is happy and relieved when this Speaker moves on from his seat of power.

It should be the goal of every Speaker to govern in a fear-free environment. As custodian of the role of Speaker, he should view it as a personal failure if a caucus member expresses or feels fear because of any of his actions. It should be his primary goal to be a servant of the members and to help them succeed in their legislative endeavors. He can’t do that very effectively if they fear him. 

I believe this lesson will apply to many other areas of elected service and to life in general. 

On another note, those who have expressed an interest in our upcoming town hall meeting regarding the area’s seismic activity should mark their calendars for June 26 at 7 p.m. We have yet to establish a location but I’ll pass along that information as soon as I can. I look forward to seeing you at this meeting.

Thank you for reading this article. Your interest and input are much appreciated. Please do not hesitate to email [email protected] with your thoughts and suggestions.