interrupting is not good leadership

Interrupting isn’t a good sign of leadership. However, it has been normalized in models of white male leadership and overrepresented in media. I see this manifest in unflattering body language when on the job (I’m a professional photographer), often seeing white men interrupt and show signs of discomfort when they aren’t the ones speaking, and have led workshops focused on improving body language. I’m not saying all white men lack this empathetic leadership skill but white men are socialized by almost every aspect of society to think their words are more valuable, which would logically imply that other people’s words are less valuable. Keen self-awareness is necessary to not let that show.

This issue is among many reasons why I think women/non-men and people of color make good leaders. Good leaders make others around them feel valued and comfortable sharing their great ideas.

I also believe that people shouldn’t use white masculinity as a model for behavior, as there’s so much toxicity in how it’s been portrayed. (There have been a few better portrayals of white masculinity more recently. Masculinity regardless of ethnicity needs significant improvement.)

I’m also aware that there are many voters who idolize this brand of unempathetic white male leadership, so that‘ll result in the behavior being rewarded and sustained.

(see also: white entitlement to space and a summary of white male supremacist normalization in the US which also has applications and impact globally)