Watching someone slam their finger in a door, we wince and experience many of the same sensations they do. Mirror neurons in the brain allow us to realistically simulate the actions performed by others and the results they experience.
We don’t just live vicariously through others. Mirror neurons allow us to keep track of what others are feeling, thinking, and doing, so that we can understand and, to some degree, experience what they do.
This same process applies to emotions, goals, and behaviors. You might say people are excellent mind readers, mimics, and adopters. Whatever they are exposed to will often become replicated in their own actions and feelings.
For instance, when those around us are in a good mood, we are likely to feel more positive as well. Surrounded by people who are laughing, we often find ourselves with a more joyful feeling. The excitement and enthusiasm of a crowd at a sporting event or concert spreads rapidly and typically results in a feeling of exhilaration and energy by everyone.
We catch and mimic the emotions of others quite easily. Emotions are highly contagious and commonly lead to shared experiences and reactions.
The same is true for behavior. Behaviors can spread like germs from person to person. This has a big implication for leaders.
Team members and colleagues commonly mimic the behaviors of those they like and respect. In many cases, they are totally unaware they are even doing it.
When they observe a colleague working through a problem with a serious expression, they are more likely to produce a similar expression. Similarly, when a leader acts decisively, takes risks, or listens intently, those around them are more likely to follow suit.
Just as gamblers raise their bets when they see others do the same, team members are heavily influenced by what leaders do, not just by what they say or suggest.
The more precise and consistent the behavior, the more likely it is that others will adopt it, at least temporarily. Physical gestures, actions, and tactics performed by a leader will shape how others engage when around them.
The contagion doesn’t stop there. It applies to goals, rule-breaking, and constraint. Whatever leaders pursue, do, and think, team members follow.
Leaders are always on stage for the smallest things they do. Leading by example takes on a much broader implication when we consider how others adopt the behaviors they observe.
The best leaders are conscious about the impact their behaviors have on others. They don’t give themselves a break from serving as a role model for the behaviors they want to see from others.
In particular, good leaders are attuned to what they decline, avoid, ignore, and dismiss. They know others are watching and will likely adopt their choices.
It’s an honor and privilege to be a role model. Good leaders never forget that. They remind themselves daily that their behaviors spread like fast-growing roots on the tree of imitation.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
