Dr Neryl East

About this episode

Dr Neryl East discusses the implications of profanity in public discourse and its impact on leadership.

Have you noticed that public figures are becoming a little freer with their language? The Leader of the Opposition labels the Prime Minister an "arrogant prick". The leader of One Nation calls a reporter a "bitch". The President of the United States, Donald Trump, drops the F-bomb during a press conference. Are we becoming a little too comfortable with profanity in public discourse? Communications and leadership expert Dr Neryl East joined The Experts Podcast this week to examine what happens when our leaders lower the standard of their language and what that means for their ability to lead. Neryl points to a growing wave of incivility that surrounds us every day. We see it online, on our roads, in public debate and across social media. At a time when trust in institutions and leadership is already under pressure, she argues that we need our leaders to rise above the noise, not contribute to it. The question is whether the occasional swear word makes leaders appear more authentic and relatable. Neryl acknowledges that nobody wants politicians who sound robotic or overly rehearsed. Authenticity matters. But so does judgement. When someone is entrusted to represent the public…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr Neryl East

Topics covered

• profanity in public discourse
• leadership communication
• authenticity in politics
• incivility
• trust in institutions

Keywords

• profanity
• leadership
• communication
• authenticity
• incivility
• public figures
• trust

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