What is today’s leadership struggle? It seems people with loud voices are overshadowing true leaders. The loud bombastic attackers, those who label others are being called leaders. In some ways loud bombastic leaders show some of the above defined leadership qualities, but really are self-serving idealogues (fanciful untruthful ideals) and do not care about nor support followers.

1. 5 Ways Loud Mouth Leaders are
Overshadowing Today's True Leaders
Rex Gatto Ph.D., BCC
These tumultuous times put us at a crossroads which may redefine the concept of a leader. The
true definitions of leadership may soon have less value if the loud irrational voices of deceitful
(hidden agenda) people in leadership positions create a base of followers. This is a conceptual
presentation on leadership and is not a description or representation of anyone. If you relate the
presented concepts to anyone that is your choice and not the purpose of this paper.
Distinguished author definitions of a leader:
John Maxwell: An Influencer (21 measures of truthful leaders).
Max DePree: One who liberates people to do what is required of them in the most effective and
humane way possible.
John Kotter: What should the future look like, align people with a vision, and inspires them to
make it happen despite the obstacles. It is a set of processes that can keep a complicated system
of people and technology running smoothly.
Rex Gatto: Understands the process by which leaders guide and develop themselves and others
by effectively communicating a direction (achieving goals, within a changing environment given
the leader and followers’ abilities and skills), taking appropriate action, and building trust.
What is today’s leadership struggle? It seems people with loud voices are overshadowing true
leaders. The loud bombastic attackers, those who label others are being called leaders. In some
ways loud bombastic leaders show some of the above defined leadership qualities, but really are
self-serving idealogues (fanciful untruthful ideals) and do not care about nor support followers.

2. By acting in an irresponsible way, loud bombastic leaders create followers who are not able to
distinguish true leaders from the others that represent irrational thoughts and absence of truth.
We are a divided society, struggling to identify truth from fantasy and setting precedent based on
lies. We no longer discuss and create innovative alternatives, but instead create animus toward
others with loud voices feigning leadership. We see playing out each day the disparaging of
people and the gospel of adopting unfounded opinions and beliefs as fact-based evidence. For
those of us who are students of the concept of leadership we are at a crossroads of losing one of
our precious talents: the American Leader. The basic tenant of leadership is that a leader must
have goals, followers, and take action. Religious leaders have goals, followers and take action
but then so have the most evil and despicable people dressed as leaders who are self-serving
despots. Then what are the tenants of great leaders? First let’s review the loud mouth leader.
Skills of the Loud Mouth Leader (LML):
1. Call people names, label and disavow what others say (even when based on fact); the LML
cultivates followers by showing fake toughness, even though a coward, standing as though pure
while making derogatory statements about others.
2. The LML presents outlandish and false ideas (not based on logic or fact) with such confidence
that followers will believe them as truth. Unfortunately, many of these followers do not read
truth evidence-based fact, but they listen to the LML who provides fake toughness with spin.
3. The LML creates an environment of hatred for any opposition. The LML stances are usually
based on irrational statements (no evidence) to get people to follow. Statements are constantly
made until followers repeat them, believe them, and take action.
4. The LML utilizes power, (the ability to get what you want), to remove people, blame the
disenfranchised, create the illusion of unity and financial support. However, the LML tells his
followers that they are the chosen, creates hatred for those who oppose, and attacks on other
political systems.
5. The LML gets followers who will carry out orders because they perceive the power and
money to be real rather than a conceptual illusion. The LML do not educate followers but rather
belittles others perceived to be enemies. We need to educate, but to do that, we need leaders who
are intelligent, aware, moral and not bombastic loud mouths who are ignorant, rude, and
unprincipled.
How do we demystify the LML?
Can we agree that we want a nation that supports the health and well-being of the people through
the election of educated and compassionate leaders?
Or
Do we want LMLs who labels, shows anger towards a group, and disavows the rational thought
of science?
Do we want leaders who follow through on what they say to make a chosen vision a reality?
Or

3. Do we want LMLs who will say anything but do not follow through; “I will be there with you,
but never show up?”
Do we want leaders who show care and compassion for all?
Or
Do we want LMLs who support divisive power for small groups that support division by hatred?
We need to define what a true leader is and be able to present it in such a way that people will
distinguish between the true leader and the LML.
1. True Leaders are knowledgeable and cognizant of the present condition, they communicate a
direction, and outline a process of taking appropriate action all the while building trust.
2. True Leaders understand the abilities, skills and the humanness of followers in achieving a
better future.
3. True Leaders focus on potential change for the future by establishing goals and direction,
aligning people to support the achievement of a better future for all, and inspiring people to want
to struggle together to achieve a better future
4. True Leaders do understand the transition from the past to the present and describe a future of
hope based on logic, rational thought, and the truth of science.
5. True Leaders have great clarity of the present strengths, areas for improvement, and a
continued focus on how to create a better future. These leaders use parts of philosophies for the
betterment and unity of a compassionate society.
6. True leaders do not disparage others, nor create a we versus them mentality. True leaders work
toward the improved welfare for all.
How can we distinguish between a True Leader and a LML?
A true leader cares for the followers, is visible and in the trenches with followers, whereas the
LML uses the followers as pawns to take action that self-serves the LML. A true leader is
transparent, speaks the truth, and asks followers to take action that supports goal achievement
and the followers for a united benefit. The LMLs create the illusions of righteousness disguised
as actions that are about them (the LMLs) and only them. True leaders speak truth versus deceit,
care for followers versus care for self (the LML), support versus blame, create a stable and
supportive environment versus an illusion of power lead by a coward.
People are in search of leaders. However, the mind control of the LML create followers who
blame others and support the chaos of the LML without calm, control, and care. It seems we
have all but forgotten philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau who is famous for
reconceiving the social contract as a compact between the individual and a collective “general
will” aimed at the common good and reflected in the laws of an ideal state. The LML wants
followers who forget goodness and simply follow them. The philosophy of Socrates who
believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the greater well-being of society.

4. The LML creates the illusion of power without goodness to create followers who label,
demonstrate in anger and trample on the well-being of a united society. Let’s hope we can
educate through truth, evidence and facts to dispel the LMLs as the Wizard of OZ the loud
mouth fake behind the curtain. These are tumultuous times and we are at several crossroads of
redefining the concept of leadership. Let’s live our lives in search of leaders who lead, cognizant
of the sacrifice of others, and with a a strength for our nation with care compassion, and unity.
Rex Gatto Ph.D., BCC
President
Gatto Associates LLC.
412 344-2277 (Office)
www.rexgatto.com
rex@rexgatto.com