No matter who you are, where you work, or who you live with, what you do represents your team too. When I act, my actions impact my entire family--my reputation, in many ways, is the reputation of my family. If you teach, what you do, represents the school community. The same is true for any group you belong to including your neighborhood, town, professional organizations, work places, and more.
When we witness President Trump lying, demeaning others, demonstrates ignorance with regard to the facts, many of us sigh with frustration and worry. We know that the world is watching, and they are thinking less of our entire country due to our subpar leadership. We are embarrassed and also worried about what this poor leadership will mean for the future of our country with regard to relations and support from other countries.
There's a balance between what you do to represent your family well, and what you do to represent yourself. Right now, Claudia Conway, daughter of Trump's former personal advisor, Kellyanne Conway, and Trump dissenter, George Conway, is continuously posting comments on social media, many of which contest her mother's and President Trump's work. I find this interesting since I have always felt that the Conways' strange pro and con efforts with regard to President Trump were troubling with regard to living a good, loving family life. I also felt that Kellyanne's lies and seeming servitude to Trump was not a good example for her children. Yet, I don't walk in their shoes, I am not privvy to their family life, and I don't know their daughter either. Clearly, their public personnas and work, have had an effect on their child--an effect that has been strong and dramatic. Most children, by nature, are humanists--children typically want life to be fair and loving. They react negatively when injustice and neglect occur. That's why lawless parents often leave a troubling impact on their children's lives.
Trump attempted to display strength, but took no time to display compassion or empathy for the many, like him, who have contracted the COVID-19 virus. He continued to deny the needed message to wear masks and socially distance from one another. He continues to put people in harm with his lack of support for public health measures that mitigate the viral spread. As one doctor stated, he's putting politics over public health. He is an embarrassment and danger to the United States--he is not a respectful leader.
How do you represent your family, work organization, neighborhood, and community? What do you do that elevates value and what do you do that takes away from a positive reputation or impact? It's not all about us, what we do and what we say impacts those we love and work with too. We all have to keep that in mind.