In every society, crises act as stress tests — demanding, uncomfortable, and often devastating examinations of the strength of institutions, social cohesion, and the character of leaders.

Hurricane Melissa, which devastated sections of Jamaica last month, has forced us into another of these defining moments. Yet, embedded within the wreckage lies an extraordinary opportunity to not only rebuild the physical structures that keep the country functioning, but restore something more fragile — our civic culture, our norms of public decency, and the way we talk to and treat one another.

Our attention to this extremely important issue is fuelled by a CVM Television report on the recent meeting of the St Ann Municipal Corporation showing an outburst by Councillor Ian Bell over long-delayed repair work on a water tank serving residents of Epworth.

Councillor Bell, the People’s National Party representative for the Beecher Town Division, had all right to request an update on the matter, given that he had raised it at last month’s meeting, but no action has been taken to correct the situation.

He cannot be blamed for his frustration at the inaction because, after all, the water tank, we are told, is the only one serving the residents. However, the belligerence he displayed during the meeting was not only unwarranted, it was disgusting, to say the least.

Moments like this remind us why leadership — real leadership — matters. Not the kind simply described by title, rank, office, or party affiliation, but leadership that is about tone — setting expectations for public conduct, shaping national conversation, and modelling how disagreements should be negotiated.

The behaviour of leaders is contagious. When leaders act with honour, temperance, clarity, and civility, citizens are most likely to follow suit. When leaders are reckless, divisive, or boisterous, the public’s behaviour tends to mirror those qualities.

The responsibility to model decency is therefore not a sentimental expectation — it is strategic. A nation recovering from crisis needs unity of purpose, trust in institutions, and cooperation across all levels of society. These things are impossible to cultivate if leaders communicate contempt, are rumbustious, or belittle counterparts.

In recent years we have seen a sad decline in political discourse, both globally and in Jamaica. Civil debate, in which opposing views are respected, has been replaced by coarse, fragmented, and deeply personalised insults.

Social media has played a major role in accelerating this decline, amplifying retaliation more easily than reflection. But crises remind us that bombast collapses quickly under pressure. The post-hurricane context demands a more mature national dialogue: One in which leaders choose to restrain themselves, even when provoked; where they acknowledge uncertainty rather than pretending to have all answers; where they use influence to unify and dignify rather than score points. It also requires the leadership of organisations to rein in those among them who engage in behaviour that is disappointing and unpleasant to witness.

In August 2023, former Prime Minister P J Patterson, while scolding Jamaicans in positions of political leadership and authority for engaging in “distasteful” and “disgraceful” public discourse, reminded us that our children are watching, hearing, and imitating, as boys and girls are wont to do.

How then, he quite rightly asked, “can we impart appropriate values and attitudes to them when such poor examples are set by some in political discourse on matters of national importance? How can we teach them respect when individuals whom they should respect fail to show respect to one another?”

It cannot be beyond us to build a better model of leadership, one that embraces decency and civility — not as slogans but as practices.