Modal verbs are a powerful tool in the English language used to communicate linguistic modality including likelihood, request, permission, obligation, or confidence. These can be used to make or break someone, especially leaders. Leaders are defined as those who command a group and usually have followers that share a similar goal. Leaders can experience immense pressure from their obligations and expectations that can later lead to mental instability. How do modal verbs relate to the mental instability of leaders? Modal verbs have the potential to portray a positive or negative message when being aimed at leaders depending on the tone and usage of the words when expressing a request, command, or compliment to leaders of any organization, group, or political province which can affect a leader’s inner peace, later affecting the overall intergroup peace. Modal verbs have the potential to transform society. This is an intense statement, but the underlying truth is that modal verbs decide whether a message is truly being expressed using peaceful language. Modal verbs include words such as can, could, may, would, should, must, have to, and might. Standard classifications of modal meanings include epistemic (factual, what we can know), logical (what must be the case), and deontic uses of ought, should, must, etc., that express concepts such as obligation and necessity. According to Sergio Martinez-Torres a new theory of modal verbs has been presented that says, “speaker meaning cannot be captured by looking at form-function relations only, but through the integration of additional conceptual layers such as agency, embodiment, and argument structure construction.” Modal phrases and the message of them are based on not only the words used, but the tone and voice behind it as well. If we were to use modal verbs to express one’s ability, we would use the words can or could. An example of an ability statement would be, “you can do this!” This is a positive message portrayed. However, that same word can be turned around and expressed in a negative way by saying, “you can not do this.” By simply added the word “not,” the sentence is transformed to express that someone is incapable of performing or succeeding. The word, would, is widely used for accountability purposes. In a research study done by Derek Edwards of Loughborough University, Edwards analyzed the use of would in police investigations and how investigators held it against suspects as a form of accountability, probability or objection. Edwards concluded through his findings that, “It occurs as a way of formulating actors’ dispositions, in a suspect’s or witness’ defense of what they did or did not do.” Since actors were used in this data driven study to be the police investigators, Edwards asked them to use the word “would” as a way of holding the suspect accountable to their actions. An example of this was using the phrase, “If you could steal the money, you would have robbed the bank.” Edwards also realized that the word was used in conditional clauses that affected the interrogation. An example of this data are the sentences, “If I had wanted to rob her, I would have been able to just take the money then; If I had wanted to kill him, I wouldn’t have asked everybody where he lived; If I had needed the money, I would have asked my mother” (Edwards 4). These were said by the suspects as a way of defending themselves or contesting the fact that they would not have done the crime they are being accused of because they would have done something else instead. These types of contention can also occur within a group of people that later affects the inner peace of the group leader, later affecting the entire intergroup peace. An example would be in the case that the leader suggests an idea and the response from the group is something along the lines of questioning, “why would we do that when we could do this instead?” In this scenario, would is used to point out the idea that is being contested and then followed by another modal verb, could, which expresses the ability of the group. This can be a damaging statement to a leader especially if the statement is used in a judge mental tone. This can cause the leader to question their own ability or capability as well as their worth as a leader. Although this one statement cannot deteriorate the confidence of the leader after occurring a single time, it can eventually build up and be the statement to cause a loss of confidence within the leader.

Using the word would as a form of contention against a leader in the workplace, specifically, can lead to aversive leadership which later leads to work alienation and a reduction of quality job performance. Aversive leadership is a dangerous trap to fall into because it is essentially using coercive power and punishing followers, group participants, or employees for low quality performance. This can cause a disruption in intergroup peace because this can cause an ever-growing issue of group members developing a dislike for their job, organization, group etc. Using phrases like, “why would we do that,” can greatly affect a leader into being an aversive leader that treats their group members or employees with the same coercion that they feel through their insecurities. Through this model, psychological capital such as the low self esteem can contribute to aversive leadership which then leads to work alienation, a growing issue amongst employees and employers alike. This alienation can then lead to a lack of quality in their job performance. A decrease in quality of work can cause the group to implode because each individual member has their own individual mission that helps them reach either their common goal or to be successful.
Social isolation within a group can cause the leader to be mentally unstable through the use of negative language. James Griffith wrote of the negative effects of social isolation and alientation amongst soldiers and how that can be an overall effect on the relationships and cohesion within a unit. The degree of social alienation among soldiers and the deterioration of unit identity in U.S. Army units were strongly evident and alarmingly widespread toward the end of the Vietnam War and during the transitional period afterward. The outcome of the Vietnam War underscored, in part, the integral relationship between small-group relations and the combat soldier's motivation. Griffith speaks of the negative affects on an intergroup dimension within a community, group, or in this case, unit, of alienation of an individual leader by saying the definition of cohesion which is, “whether a group member decides to remain or leave a group. Given this definition, it was expected that units having higher levels of cohesiveness would also have higher reenlistment rates.” This explains why leadership mentality is important and how that can help create a cohesive unit that makes soldiers want to keep enlisting and performing to the highest quality.

Leader alienation is a common trend that is not recognized enough. Leader alienation can be the result of expressing contention, inability, or obligation to leaders causing them to not be seen as a functioning or imperative part of the community which they share with their followers, employees, or group members. Being alienated as a leader can negatively affects someone’s self esteem and leadership style. This also exemplifies how leader alienation can lead to adverse leadership because the comments people making unkind comments about the leader can make them react negatively and become a dictator like boss which falls under the category of adverse leadership.

Being “in charge” is not always as glamorous as it seems especially when phrases that use negative modal verbs of obligation and expectation are being constantly used against a leader. While being at the top can be fun and beneficial, it can also be lonely. Dan Cellucci, the chief executive officer of the Catholic Leadership Institute wrote about the pressures of being “in charge” and how that can lead to alienation that leaders face and how that contributes to the lack of empathy and sympathy from those who are not leaders - whether that be intentionally or not. With leaders, the quote that most resonates with them is, “I no longer could simply see a problem and hope it would get solved or suggest to my boss a solution that I didn’t have to implement. I felt the distance not so much between my team members and me, but more so between the decisions we all could make and the decisions only I could make.” This is an accurate depiction of what it feels like to be a leader and make difficult decisions that could alter the organization for the better without actually asking anyone for input. A leader is faced every day with difficult decisions that they could face backlash from and cannot gather input from anyone. This makes it difficult for leaders to be included because they are forced to make decisions that are not inclusive to other through no fault of their own. They later most likely have to face backlash in the form of negative modal phrases such as, “We should do this instead,” “We have to do something else,” or “You can not make that decision without asking.” This can be used as contention against the leader which later can cause them to be depressed or alienated because they are not able to share the reasoning for their decision with anyone else. All leaders face a similar issue when it comes to making decisions. This can be expressed by John Hackston who writes an article about Five common ways to alienate your staff. People are more susceptible to alienate those that alienate them. This is reflected in how getting negative feedback can cause a leader to feel isolated. Negativity within the work place or in an organization can breed more negativity that disrupts the intergroup peace. This can also alter the inner peace of individuals whether they are leaders or not due to the feeling of failure that is usually associated with negative feedback that is not communicated properly rather than constructive criticism. Hackston says, “the top ways to make workers feel alienated is avoid communicating, manage by fear, only listen to people who say what you want to hear, be vague about what you expect, and work your employees into the ground.” These ways can be applied to both sides of the spectrum whether they are leaders or not. For leaders, the people within their group or organization can run them into the ground by forcing them to either work more than they should to appease their individual needs or to come up with different ideas since their original once is not favored by majority of the group. Leaders can also be affected by a lack of communication from their colleagues especially in the case that they do not properly express how something makes them feel, later affecting them and making their feelings be expressed inappropriately or harshly.

The effects of leadership can cause one to be overworked, exhausted, and even depressed. There are many mental health consequences of being a leader in the workplace, that hardly anyone will ever recognize. They also usually encounter these issues on their own without any assistance. No one can truly see the mental strain their leaders face or the amount of work and time they put in to all of their efforts. This mental strain is what causes leaders to suffer mentally and develop different mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Leaders also suffer when their work is not recognized or discounted using negative language that does not encourage them. This can include using phrases that express obligation such as, “you must do this,” “you have to do this,” or “you should do this.”

It is important for leaders to encounter self empowerment through themselves as well as their colleagues, peers, or followers. Jeanette Hassin and Robert S. Young wrote an article that discusses the positive effects of proper leadership development in a real life example that greatly affected the empowerment of Native Americans in the southwest through a self empowerment program called S.E.L.F. This article also discusses the importance of leadership and how it can contribute to many different aspects of a functioning community such as health, harmony, and self-sufficiency. They write that empowerment is “defined in an individual context and/or as part of a group dynamic.(FN7,9) Some include in their definition the importance of motivation in expressing feelings, ideas, and self-worth.(FN9) Self-empowerment, as defined by the theoretical perspective offered in our program, differs from the traditional focus on external success and power. It provides a new way of understanding self and bringing a person towards a greater awareness of her or his own internal strength.” Native Americans are great examples of what it means to be a true leader because they are based on the foundation of self empowerment. This applies because self-empowerment is important as a leader whether it be in the work place, an organization, or a university community. Without self-empowerment, people become dependent on others to affirm them and drive them to be better leaders, when in reality, that cannot always be guaranteed especially since leaders have to make some controversial and unprecedented decisions sometimes that can easily upset the group they are leading. Native Americans have suffered from health issues such as alcoholism, diabetes, and mental health problems that eventually led to suicide because of the alienation and isolation they have faced since Europeans dominated them through colonization. If anyone is a good example for teaching leaders to overcome loneliness and alienation, it’s them. The Native Americans also overcame their obstacles through peaceful language that empowered each other and encourage others to empower themselves. This program emphasized the use of language when talking to oneself which can greatly benefit leaders regardless of what organization, group, or province they are a part of. 

Adam Waytz with the help of Eileen Y. Chou, Joe C. Maggee and Adam D. Galinsky, did eight different studies that explore the correlation between negative relationships and the experience of loneliness. They used these studies to create a mechanism that explains how low power can increase loneliness and how high power, when used correctly, can reduce loneliness. Although the conclusion states that being at the top does reduce loneliness, there are many negative sides to being “at the top.” One of the negative sides can be expressed when leaders desire to belong amongst their peers rather than being authoritative over them. The authors write that, “having power decreases the need to belong compared to low power, which increases this need. Contrary to the received wisdom that it is lonely at the top, we propose instead that lacking power leads to more loneliness than having power. In the current research, we will show that the need to belong is an important driver of the relationship between power and loneliness.” This statement can be contradicted by pointing out that power can make someone feel lonely especially when language is used against them to make them feel this way. Having power can mean that one must maintain a certain level of confidentiality that prevents one from being inclusive to others, causing others to be angry towards them for maintaining that confidentiality. Another way that power can be lonely is that being in charge usually makes others want to keep their opinions about the group or important decisions of the group from the leader. This prevents open communication from taking place which later affects the group dynamic and makes the leader feel out of place or alone.

The word can is mostly expressed in the imperative mode that communicates a command. Dirceu Cleber Count is a researcher of linguistics at Department de Letras and has performed many research projects on the semantics of linguistics and language. He writes an article that analyzes the use of modal verbs through the Portuguese word, “poder” which means can. He has widely focused on Portuguese, but has his research available in English and Spanish as well. “Even in languages such as English, where this phrase seems to be mandatory in declarative sentences, the Imp does not require it. What exist are people who passively participate in verbal action, and may or may not be represented by some kind of linguistic make up. In this way, we perceive that the imperative phenomenon is, in fact, disambiguous phenomenon through the bias of the semantic-pragmatic analysis” (Count 3323). The improper use of modal verbs in the imperative sense can lead to social isolation and mental instability of leaders within organizations or in the workplace. The imperative phenomenon is what has made modal verb phrases have a negative connotation when being expressed to leaders. The word can is expressed in a variety of ways. In the imperative phenomenon, it can be expressed as the phrase, “you can do this for me.” The word can has been changed from the ability form to the imperative form. Through the past few years, phrases using can have evolved into commands for the sake of telling others what they can do for them. This falls into commanding leaders because followers or group members can command leaders to do things that only benefit them, not the entire group or organization.

It is important for groups or organization to have a consensus on their common goals so they can communicate properly using modal verbs. In order for them to be successful, groups need proper communication styles and utilization of peaceful language styles. Through group cohesiveness, the effects of positive leadership can be highlighted through the use of productive communication. Positive leadership is mainly sourced from the leader themselves, but also can be associated with the members of the organization or the workplace. The trials and tribulations of any organization should be experienced by all members. The person “at the frontline” is not always distinctly seen as the leader of the group because there are no real differences between them and the other people. Because of this, the importance of enthusiasm and the proper use of modal verbs in a positive way can help contribute to positive leadership and upward success. When groups are in agreement, they are able to move up and down with the obstacles and the highs of the group. By using positive modal verb messages, communication can be in sync within the group that helps them to realize their common goal and work towards successfully achieving it. Using phrases such as, “we can do this,” “we should do this together,” and “we could do something great,” are all positive modal phrases that can contribute to effective communication.

In order for an entire group to be in agreement, the leader needs to encourage other members of the group and empower them. While leaders are continuously moving up, they must take the time to reach down to their fellow colleagues in order to bring them up as well. There is an imperative need for leaders to recognize and be enthusiastic towards their peers in order for them to also be successful. The use of communication and proper grammar can help peers succeed and build each other up and this can include using the correct modal verbs when speaking to each other as verbs of possibility and encouragement not negativity and urgency.

The need for leadership direction is essential for leaders to understand how they can overcome feelings of isolation that can result from an incorrect or improper use of language against them. A book chapter written by Cindy Kane entitled, Advancing Student Leader Development Through Student Organization Advising and Institutional Support that comes from the book, New Directions for Student Leadership provides resources for student leaders that may need external assistance after coming to terms with their own struggles in their leadership position. This article explores the potential and promise of student organization advisors in facilitating student leader development. Through exploration of key aspects of institutional support, Kane identifies ways that advisors of all backgrounds contribute to the teaching and learning experiences of students by saying, Regardless of whether the advisor spends time in maintenance roles, growth roles, or content roles at any given moment, advisor involvement offers opportunity for leader development through interaction between advisor and student.

Although some students have the ability to reflect on their learning as they experience the leadership process, an advisor who adopts the identity of a leadership educator can offer a formal opportunity to connect a student's understanding of abstract, theoretical ideas of leadership and how those ideas may or may not match with lived experience (Kane 1). When speaking about leaders, student leaders are the ones who suffer the most from the negative effects of improper language and modal phrases due to the lack of respect or communication from their peers, group members, or colleagues. Because of this, it is vital that students have proper guidance from advisors who can properly mentor them to understand how to overcome feelings of alienation and isolation that come from leadership.

One way that leaders can learn to attain the confidence necessary to be a true leader is through the use of body language as well as the proper use of dialogue. Leaders should allow themselves to be confident and empowering through their body, such as in their posture, which can help their peers be inspired and mimic their level of perseverance, dedication, and confidence. This image portrays how one should look when they are using the proper modal verbs for possibility and encouragement purposes to help them better communicate amongst their peers especially within student organizations.
Leaders have the potential to create change within their organization, group, or political province that can greatly benefit the community, country, or the world. Adrianna Kezar writes in another chapter of New Directions for Student Leadership entitled Building Social Change Oriented Leadership Capacity Among Student Organizations: Developing Students and Campuses Simultaneously. In this chapter, Kezar highlights nontraditional forms of leadership development in student organizations. Using the social change model for leadership as a framework, the authors discuss the ways in which collectivist and activist approaches can result in similar skills obtained through traditional forms of leadership development. This article says, “leadership development involves collective action and empowerment through a variety of individuals to facilitate the process. By separating leadership from position and authority, leadership becomes nonhierarchical and something anyone can participate in or practice.” This discusses the model of leadership that helps leaders and organizations develop fruitfully when authority is separated from leadership and instead is practiced in an equal foundation for all members of an organization. Leaders need to understand the importance of practicing empathy for others that are not in their position to help them better understand the needs of the organization.
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Modal verbs have the potential to portray a positive or negative message when being aimed at leaders depending on the tone and usage of the words when expressing a request, command, or compliment to leaders of any organization, group, or political province which can affect a leader’s inner peace, later affecting the overall intergroup peace. The negative use of language has the potential to cause leaders to be isolated and fall into different mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Modal verbs can affect a message based on the usage of the verbs and how it is expressed. The language of peace can be utilized amongst leaders and their organization members, colleagues, or followers to create a positive environment that enhances success in achieving a common goal that is decided through effective communication and the proper use of peaceful language or modal phrases. Pay attention to the leaders in life and be sure to speak to them with kindness.