Since today is an important date in American politics: the second Presidential Debate will take place later today, I thought it would be appropriate to feature Barbara McQuade, the author of the new book, ATTACK FROM WITHIN, HOW DISINFORMATION IS SABOTAGING AMERICA. Barbara and I had a discussion about leadership and her book, a must-read for our current political climate, and highlights follow a brief introduction.
Barbara McQuade is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches criminal law and national security law. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. From 2010 to 2017, she served as the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. She also served as vice chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee and co-chaired its Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee. Before her appointment as U.S. Attorney, McQuade served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit for 12 years, including service as Deputy Chief of the National Security Unit. In that role, she prosecuted cases involving terrorism financing, foreign agents, threats, and export violations. She serves on a number of non-profit boards and served on the Biden-Harris Transition Team in 2020-2021. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and its law school and calls Ann Arbor, Michigan home.
QUESTION: Since your background is in law, politics, and education, how have you seen the role of leadership change (evolve/devolve) in those fields over the last 20 years?
BARBARA McQUADE: We still have many wonderful leaders in all fields, but it is disappointing to see some people in politics use fear to stoke division in society. By promoting an us-versus-them mentality, we find ourselves unable to address real problems, such as, climate change and immigration. We need compromise to achieve policymaking, and it seems that some leaders would rather resort to simple soundbites than nuanced thinking.
QUESTION: In your new book, “Attack from Within, How Disinformation is Sabotaging America,” what are three important takeaways you hope readers will have?
BARBARA McQUADE: Here are my three:
First, I hope to raise awareness that certain tactics have been used throughout history to manipulate the public: blaming scapegoats, undermining critics, using fear, and more. Once we can recognize these tactics, we are less likely to be manipulated by them.
Second, I hope that readers will see the real harms caused to American society by disinformation. Lies and misleading claims are eroding democracy, public safety, and the rule of law. For example, false claims of a stolen election have led to laws in many states making it more difficult to vote. I expect we will see false content generated by AI in the upcoming election. I worry that claims that prosecutors are "weaponizing" the criminal justice system will lead to a loss of confidence in the legitimacy of law enforcement and the courts, leading to vigilante violence, just as we saw on January 6th.
Third, I hope that readers will choose to put truth over tribe. Today, it seems that some people don't care about the facts. They care only about winning. But blind allegiance to a political party is not democracy. We need to encourage independent thinking over the idea that our political system is us-versus-them. As Americans, parties are rivals, but not enemies. We are all in this together.
QUESTION: At the end of your book, Attack from Within, you wrote, "An informed electorate has always been necessary for democracy." However, with so much polarization, apathy, disrespect, ignorance, inequality, and disinformation, how can we as Americans transform into an informed electorate?
BARBARA McQUADE: It is somewhat ironic that we have never had as much access to information as we do today, and yet, it seems that we are more disinformed than ever. Part of that is due to feeling overwhelmed with information, and so we rely on proxies to tell us what to think. That is a very dangerous place to be, because we cede power to party leaders or media mouthpieces.
Instead, we need to embrace our duties as citizens to obtain accurate information about issues and candidates so that we can use the power of the people. Great sources for accurate information are your Secretary of State's website and the non-partisan League of Women Voters.
QUESTION: Which three leaders from business or history inspire you, and why?
BARBARA McQUADE: Here are my three:
[1] Frank Murphy, former justice of the Supreme Court, former governor of Michigan, and other public leadership positions - because he said that he wanted his legacy to be simply that he made government work for the people.
[2] Liz Cheney - because she put country over party by vice chairing the House Committee investigating the January 6th attacks and publicly stated that we cannot abandon truth and remain a free country. She lost her House race over her commitment to the truth. She is a profile in courage.
[3] Barack Obama - because he appealed to hope over fear, and unity over division.
QUESTION: One of my favorite leadership quotes is from author and consultant Mark Herbert (@NewParadigmer on Twitter/X): "Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others." What does this quote mean to you?
BARBARA McQUADE: Too often, people think of leadership as rock star adulation. Instead, leadership means doing the quiet little things necessary to empower others. Obtaining resources, removing bureaucratic obstacles, seeking input in decisions, allowing autonomy and discretion, and creating an environment where it is safe to fail or admit mistakes are the things that effective leaders do to enable others to achieve more than they could on their own.
My gratitude and applause to Barbara for appearing on my blog and sharing her leadership insights.
SHARE THIS: Too often, people think of leadership as rock star adulation. Instead, leadership means doing the quiet little things necessary to empower others. ~@BarbMcQuade #DebbieLaskeysBlog #LeadershipTip
SHARE THIS: Blind allegiance to a political party is not democracy. ~@BarbMcQuade #DebbieLaskeysBlog #PresidentialDebates
Image Credit: Sam Moghadam Khamseh via Unsplash via Wordswag.
Learn more about the 2024 Presidential Debates at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_debates
Learn more about the League of Women Voters at:
Connect with Barbara at these links:
Michigan Law: https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/barbara-l-mcquade
Website/Book: https://www.barbaramcquade.com
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/BarbMcQuade
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