If you don’t think role modeling matters, consider the yawn. We’ve all seen it: one person yawns and suddenly there’s a decaffeinated avalanche of gapes and yawps. Or someone bursts into laughter and others begin to chuckle without so much as a dad joke.
Someone sits up straighter, others adjust their postures.
Someone scratches their head— others begin to itch.
And let’s not touch on the more scatological phenoms like nausea or the fem cycle. But rest assured, this penchant to sync with others is embedded in our biology, so best to learn how you’re showing up as a leader, a colleague, a friend and how it’s influencing others.
Before you say this is simply group think, think again. It’s more like group survival. No matter the challenge—from hunting to gathering to adapting to climate—we’ve evolved to follow those we see as successful. Anthropologists call the result of our innate ability to learn and do through mimicry “cumulative culture.” This is what allows us to improve over time—whether learning a new skill or passing on generational wisdom. (“Why Imitation Is at the Heart of Being Human Coping helps us learn skills and cultural rituals—and feel a sense of belonging” By Connor Wood)
If so many non-viral things are “contagious,” how can leaders spread their influence to build their desired organizational culture?
Demonstrate Values
No matter the set of values your organization has on paper, people will see whether leaders are living them, and will emulate the way in which they do. If your organizational values include people-focus, for example, leaders need to think about how they’re making time and space to listen, connect. Whether they’re taking decisions with people at the center. Are you transparent about why you make choices, and what it means for your people? In the same way, if you want to drive integrity, how are you showing up in respect your moral compass? No matter the organizational beliefs, the behaviors of its leaders will flow into the behaviors of teams, which will flow into its culture.
Decide with a Purpose and Vision Lens
Maybe your vision is centered on growth, and your Purpose is around connection—as a leader, are your day-to-day behaviors helping others grow through connection to resources and people they need? Are you driving organizational decisions that link key partners and stakeholders in service of deepening and broadening impact?
Leaders role modeling target behaviors isn’t a nice to have, it’s critical to drive change, performance, and create a meaningful EVP. Because humans are hardwired to read actions as truth critical to their survival, and to repeat after their leaders. This is what builds societies as well as organizations. We share 98% of DNA with our monkey relatives, and like them, what we see is what we do, and how we do better.