![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2204936302-e1769097947931.jpg?w=2048\")
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At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, former first lady Michelle Obama addressed her family\u2019s haters: \u201cWhen they go low, we go high.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a simple yet profound motto she and her family adopted to address those who act cruelly, and they\u2019ve chosen to respond with dignity, principle, and grace rather than stoop to their bullies\u2019 level. It was something the family needed to get through the intense scrutiny of former President Barack Obama\u2019s campaign and presidency.<\/p>\n
When asked about this mantra during an episode of the Call Her Daddy <\/em>podcast with Alex Cooper published this January, Obama clarified it\u2019s not about suppressing emotions like anger or pain toward scrutiny, but rather about being \u201coutcome determinative.\u201d<\/p>\n Nearly a decade after that 2016 viral moment, Obama\u2019s clarification lands in a political and cultural environment defined by instant reactions and performative outrage\u2014a time when \u201cgoing low\u201d can bring engagement, attention, or even votes. Especially in an era in which powerful figures have platforms to express their emotions\u2014whether it be anger or celebration\u2014it\u2019s critical to take a step back and think before you act, she argued.\u00a0<\/p>\n Leadership and having a platform is \u201clike a gun,\u201d Obama said. \u201cLearn how to use it, put the safety lock on. Because you can cause a lot of damage, but you can also do a lot of good.\u201d<\/p>\n Obama also clarified that this doesn\u2019t mean leaders shouldn\u2019t feel feelings. Rather, she argues, leaders should think before they speak and consider \u201cwhere you are trying to go with them and let that lead.\u201d<\/p>\n This helps leaders avoid public \u201ctantrums,\u201d as she called them, and present themselves as more composed and coherent. Not only does the former first lady use this mantra in her current ventures, like Higher Ground Productions, a company founded by herself and Barack Obama, but it also translates to her personal life.\u00a0<\/p>\n The kitchen table can be the perfect place to air out frustrations, but people often overexaggerate their problems, turning them into a level \u201c10.\u201d But when they take a step back, Michelle Obama said, the problem may not be as bad as was first thought.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll find out that half the stuff you threw out there in anger isn\u2019t even true, and it\u2019s not how you really feel,\u201d Obama said. \u201cSo now you should go out and communicate what you really feel, really clearly. To me, that\u2019s what going high is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This theme of self-determination is omnipresent in Obama\u2019s new book, The Look,<\/em> which explores her style evolution, identity, and presentation. Her approach aligns with an executive leadership school of thought that emotional regulation\u2014not suppression\u2014drives performance and trust. It\u2019s the foundation of emotional intelligence, a concept popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman, as essential to leading effectively under pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cIf your emotional abilities aren\u2019t in hand; if you don\u2019t have self-awareness; if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions; if you can\u2019t have empathy and have effective relationships\u2014then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far,\u201d Goleman wrote in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ<\/em>.<\/p>\n Obama\u2019s perspective resonates with business leaders who view emotional control as essential to responsibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n Simon Sinek, famous for his 2009 TED Talk about the concept of \u201cwhy,\u201d and his \u201cGolden Circle\u201d theory, warns against leaders displaying arrogance and narcissism, instead advocating for composure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe job of a leader is to serve the people and the mission, not your own ego,\u201d Sinek wrote in a September 2025 blog post. The best leaders are \u201cthe ones who give away credit, take responsibility, and serve quietly, even when no one\u2019s watching.\u201d<\/p>\n During his tenure, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has focused on transforming the tech giant\u2019s culture from a \u201cknow-it-all\u201d ethos, focused on defensiveness and arrogance, to one of \u201clearn-it-alls.\u201d<\/p>\n Microsoft must \u201cstay humble, stay hungry, and exhibit a growth mindset,\u201d Nadella told Fortune\u2019<\/em>s Jeremy Kahn in 2024.<\/p>\n Whether in politics, corporate boardrooms, or public life, Obama\u2019s \u201cgo high\u201d mantra serves as a reminder that leadership isn\u2019t about reactive strength\u2014it\u2019s about disciplined intention.<\/p>\n A version of this story was originally published on Fortune.com on January 22, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n #Michelle #Obama #clarifies #famous #high #mottoand #suppressing #anger #pain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, former first lady Michelle Obama addressed her family\u2019s haters: \u201cWhen they go low, we go high.\u201d It\u2019s a simple yet profound motto she and… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[119,8885,7139,8180,424,5880,427,9692,794,3140,4332,9690,6679,9693,9691,1731,916,9694],"class_list":["post-7419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance-news","tag-advice","tag-anger","tag-black-leadership","tag-business-leadership","tag-career-advice","tag-clarifies","tag-evergreen-refresh","tag-famous","tag-high","tag-leadership","tag-leadership-advice","tag-michelle","tag-most-powerful-women","tag-mottoand","tag-obama","tag-pain","tag-success","tag-suppressing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7419\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}From the C-suite: why top CEOs treat composure as a leadership skill<\/h2>\n
More on leadership:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n