Expanding the discussion...

Teachers of eastern religions talk about expansive vs. limiting thinking. Expansive thoughts tend to broaden views, promote connection to others, reduce tensions, breed trust, and promote creativity. Limiting, or contractive, thinking tends to narrow perspectives, incite division and distrust, induce paranoia, and reduce thinking to stereotypes, platitudes, and dogma.

Leaders can promote expansive or contractive thinking by their actions. Do your leaders:

...encourage all staff, parents and other community members to talk with each other and among themselves, or separate individuals from each other by spreading stories and gossip, punishing those who talk, and initiating whispering campaigns?

...encourage thinking out of the box, or reward certain ideas with applause while discouraging others with mockery?

...work to create a consensus from multiple viewpoints, or work to create a voting majority that can crush dissent?

...dig for information to illuminate discussion, or cherry-pick information to support a viewpoint?

...do all their business in the open for all to observe, or maneuver behind closed doors?

...allow ample time for consideration, or rush to judgment?

...treat all equally, or play favorites?

...strive for diversity of thinking, or aim for uniformity?

...say the same things to all people, or tailor their speech to their audiences?

...match their actions to their words so all remains open and accountable, or say one thing and do another?

Are your leaders helping people work better together, or setting people against each other? No matter what they are doing, you can make the environment expansive rather than contractive by your own actions:

If you hear a story, check it out in person.

If you are bullied into silence, make a point of talking louder and encouraging those around you to open up. Bullying requires the consent of the bullied.

If your leaders humiliate people, including you, call them on it publicly.

If they narrow the discussion, open it again.

If someone's views are crushed, make a point of bringing those views forward again and standing in solidarity with the silenced, even if you do not support their viewpoint.

If you feel rushed, others probably do too, so pour cold molasses on the discussion.

If the door is closed, open it.

If someone whispers to you, respond at full volume.

If you are approached in private, draw another into the conversation. If that is not possible, make it clear that you will not keep what is said confidential. If the person talking with you is uncomfortable with that, you do not have to continue.

Refuse to listen to gossip. If you overhear it, don't pass it on. Ask the gossiper if he/she is speaking from first-hand knowledge or just repeating rumors. Stop stories in their tracks: the next one will be about you.

If things you hear make you uncomfortable about someone, march right up to that person and talk it out. Chances are your discomfort was groundless.

Contractive actions cannot shut people down as long as enough people consciously practice expansive behavior, any more than darkness can survive if you turn on the light.