There’s an old joke floating around the internet — maybe you’ve seen it: people who swear a lot are actually smarter. Turns out, it’s not just a meme. Research backs it up: science says fluency in profanity tends to correlate with higher overall verbal intelligence and greater honesty.
Enter lalochezia
A curious term for the relief we feel when we let fly a choice swear word. It’s an impulse most leaders suppress. We’re taught to remain composed, filtered, “professional.” But the truth is, a well-timed expletive isn’t the mark of an undisciplined leader — it can be the sign of an effective one.
When used with intention, lalochezia becomes a sharp, human leadership tool. It cuts through noise, releases tension, and earns trust.
The Honesty of an Unfiltered Moment
Sterile, over-polished leadership kills connection.
A leader who never shows emotion quickly feels detached, rehearsed, inauthentic. Teams see right through it.
But drop the facade — even for a moment — and something changes. A quick, heartfelt expletive in a high-pressure moment tells the room: I feel this too.
It humanizes the leader. It signals permission for others to be real, to name the tension, and to move forward honestly.
Teams don’t crave perfection. They crave proof their leaders are in it with them.
Pressure Valves Prevent Explosions
Cultures obsessed with composure breed quiet toxicity. Tension builds under the surface, never named, never addressed. People grow resentful of leaders who pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn’t.
Lalochezia punctures that false calm. It provides a safe release valve before pressure becomes a problem. A sharp word at the right time resets the room. It clears the air. It acknowledges reality and reinforces unity.
And — crucially — it spares your team from the far worse alternative: a leader who pretends not to feel the weight everyone else is carrying.
Control Is the Key
Of course, this isn’t a defense of reckless profanity. Overuse blunts the effect. Worse, it can undermine authority.
Swearing in leadership only works when it’s intentional, rare, and well-timed. It’s punctuation, not the whole sentence — the underline, the exclamation point, the spark that snaps focus back to the moment.
Strong leaders read the room. They know their people and understand their context. They sense when lalochezia will lift the fog — and when silence serves better.
Why It Matters Now
Today’s teams are tired of hollow positivity and performative calm. They want leaders who are real, who show the emotional weight of hard decisions and high stakes.
Used wisely, lalochezia is not unprofessional. It’s honest.
It reminds people that leadership is human work. It’s language in full color — messy, alive, and real.
Don’t sanitize yourself into irrelevance. Use the full range of your voice.
Even the rough edges.