Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of performance through strong human relations, team building, and goalajiving. This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovaledo. Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast. It's episode four to sixty three. Today's episode is about something that doesn't just shape teams, it shapes nations. It's about the dangers of spreading misinformation, especially when it comes
from people in positions of power and leadership. So let's start with this. You have the right to consume whatever kind of news, media or opinion based content that feeds your appetite. That's the freedom of choice. Fox News, CNN, YouTube channels, TikTok, personalities podcasts. If it fills your cup, you're allowed to drink from it. But here's the issue. Just because something satisfies your appetite doesn't mean it's nourishing you.
And even more dangerous if you're a person with influence, if you're someone who others listen to, then spreading what you consumed without verifying it can have real lasting damage. So let me explain this with an analogy I've been thinking about. Let's say I love to eat big Macs every day. I love the taste, they're affordable. I get comfort from them. That's my choice. No one is stopping me from eating one for lunch and dinner every day. And some people would even argue, it's only five hundred
and forty calories, it's not that bad. But let's say I go a step further. Let's say I start telling people, hey, eating a big Mac is the healthiest decision you can make for your body. And that's where we cross a line. Some folks might actually believe me. After all, I said it with confidence, and I'm a leader, right, people trust what I say. But others would push back and say I'm wrong. Then the real experts, nutritionists, doctors, dietitians, they'd
speak up. They'd say, Paul, that's not true. It's processed food. It's high in sodium, high in fat, and if you eat it all the time, it's going to catch up with you. But imagine if I ignore them and worshiet. Imagine I use my platform to discredit those experts and I say things like, those health experts are lying, they don't know what they're talking about. They're part of a system that's trying to control your diet, and now we have a real problem. And it's not just about food anymore.
It's about power. It's about a leader using their influence to shape a reality that benefits them, not the people listening. And this is exactly what's happening in today's world, not just with food, but with politics, with science, with public safety, with emergency response. When a leader, any leader, spreads misinformation, whether intentionally or ignorantly, it weakens the system. And here's
where leadership enters the chat in a serious way. If you're a leader of a team, a company, an agency, a government and you knowingly spread falsehoods, you are not leading. You're manipulating. You're not building trust, you're eroding it. You're not empowering people, you're misleading them. And you don't get to hide behind freedom of speech when your words have the power to create real world consequences. So let's go
a step further. Some of you listening might be thinking, well, I don't hold national power, so this really doesn't apply to me. Wrong. It starts at the ground level. It starts and how you talk about your co workers. It starts in how you in turn and pass along a new policy. It starts with the rumors, you either repeat or shut down, because if someone on your team hears you spread a lie or an unverified claim even once, you're now part of the misinformation chain. And worse, you
just gave others permission to do the same. So what's the leadership lesson here? It's this, Every leader is responsible for truth, and truth is not based on what you feel is right. Truth is based on facts, evidence, and the credibility of your sources. If you don't know something, say I don't know. If you're unsure, say I'll find out. If you're wrong, say I was wrong. These aren't signs of weakness. These are signs of responsibility. So let's wrap
this up. The next time you're about to repeat something, you have to ask yourself, is this true? Is this helpful? And is it from a source that I would trust with my life? Because as a leader, your words don't just echo in a room. They ripple into decisions, beliefs, and behaviors, and if you're not careful, you might be handing out big max while calling them multivitamins. This has been the seven minute Leadership podcast, and I thank you
for listening. For more. Paul fell of Alito podcasts. Visit Paulfellowalito dot com.