Arthur Brooks on Civility, Politics, and the Workplace

Author and professor Arthur Brooks recently appeared on SHRM’s Tomorrowist podcast. A summary of that conversation appears below.

The incivility crisis and political polarization in the U.S. are reaching alarming levels. Now, it’s time for leaders to take action. Arthur Brooks, a professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School and the bestselling author of Love Your Enemies (Broadside Books, 2019), explores the detrimental effects of the polarized political climate on relationships, businesses, and the country at large. He discusses how executives can foster cohesion within teams to support organizational productivity, ultimately promoting a culture of civility within their organizations and throughout society as a whole.

Political Divide Mirrors Global Conflicts

Brooks explains that the U.S. political climate has reached unprecedented levels of hostility. Citing behavioral research, he explains that both Democrats and Republicans increasingly believe that while they love their country, the other side actively hates it. “There’s a bunch of work on something called motive attribution asymmetry, which is academic gobbledygook for, ‘I believe that I love my country, but the other side hates our country,’ ” says Brooks. “That’s one of the reasons we have this implacable hostile conflict. And the level that has reached, measured very responsibly, is at the same level as what we see in the Middle East.” Thankfully, we haven’t seen an increased level of violence comparable to that region, he says.

This lack of trust in the other side can be seen in families that are torn apart over political differences—a phenomenon Brooks also notes in Love Your Enemies. Reflecting on the situation today, he worries that the inability to communicate across ideological lines is making it harder for Americans to tackle significant issues. “Until there’s greater unity across differences, we can’t solve any problems,” Brooks warns.

Polarization Is Bad for Businesses

Brooks emphasizes that political polarization is not just a societal issue, but one that infiltrates businesses and organizations and disrupts their ability to function effectively. The workplace may have once been a space for common purpose, unaffected by political differences, but that is changing. “You can’t go to a baseball game without somebody unfurling a political banner,” Brooks says. He adds that when such disagreements make their way into the office, they hinder productivity.

Brooks warns that companies that allow politics to disrupt their operations risk diminishing the capacity of their organization to function. “When people won’t talk to each other because something is happening outside of work, they can’t actually solve problems inside the workplace,” he cautions. “This is going to diminish the capacity of organizations to effectively do what they’re supposed to be doing. That’s exactly what’s happening at workplaces all around the country.”

We’re now at a critical juncture, says Brooks, emphasizing that executives must act to protect their organizations and their people. 

How Leaders Should Handle ‘Minoritarian Bullies’

Brooks offers a clear opinion on how leaders should handle politics in the workplace: Don’t take a stance.

He argues that healthy disagreement about work-related topics is essential, but bringing in divisive political issues is harmful. “There’s 3% of your workforce that’s blowing up your Slack channel, saying that you’re an irresponsible citizen in a bad company unless you make a statement,” he says. “Which, by the way, 60% of your employees disagree with, but are silent because they’re being responsible employees.

“Don’t fall prey to minoritarian bullies,” Brooks adds. “And I’m telling you, when you do stand up to the 3%, they’re trying to bully you into activism and taking a side in extraneous culture war issues. When you stand up and say, ‘No,’ your employees are going to cheer for you.”

Brooks says leaders need to stand firm and refuse to take political sides. There are many opinions and viewpoints inside every company, he adds, and allowing politics in the workplace can tear your organization apart. Brooks also has advice for employees who disagree with their employers’ neutrality. “If you don’t like it, well, maybe you should work someplace else,” he says.

Democracy Relies on Civility

For Brooks, fostering civility in the workplace will lead to broader cultural change. He believes that leaders who encourage respectful disagreement can help train employees in civil discourse, which they will then take into their personal lives, changing our country for the better.

“Disagreement is healthy because competition is a good thing. The competition of ideas is fundamental to a free society,” he says. Allowing disagreement and conflict in the workplace can provide employees with critical skills that they can take back to their own families.

Healthy disagreement and conflict also train employees to be better community members. By promoting civility, companies contribute not only to their own success, but also to the health of the country and even capitalism itself. 

“The reason that people don’t really trust capitalism today is the same reason that young people often say they don’t trust democracy,” says Brooks. “Because of politics and the culture war, we’re bashing the entire system—and we lower the trust—especially for people who are coming into the workforce for the first time.”

“Work is part of life,” he concludes. “A good boss, good management of an organization, should help people become better people.”