I was listening to an interview with the historian Jon Meacham, and he said “in a republic, we are all leaders.” I think this is such an important thing to remember. It’s really easy to look to our elected officials and defer to their authority or leadership, but each of us is a leader too.

What you choose to say, or not to say, as a witness to hostility, or racism, or misogyny, sets a tone for the people around you. Having had a president who set an example of treating people terribly, it is even more important for the rest of us to remember that we are leaders too, and that we can set a positive tone to help counteract the negative tone.

For sure, each of us doesn’t have the platform that any elected official has, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t still have power. Remember that you are a leader, whether you realize it or not. People have a natural inclination to be led. Where will you lead them?