Brain science and leadership make an interesting mix. While I think it’s fascinating to know how our brains work, often it tells us stuff we already know intuitively. Neuroscience gives us permission to know it!
Once in a while I run across something I didn’t know I knew, and then I sit up and pay attention. This article by Richard Boyatzis is fascinating because it identifies the science of emotional contagion – the way one person’s emotional orientation can affect a whole group. It also calls out in scientific terms how powerfully a leader affects their team emotionally and the positive impact this can have in helping the staff learn and adapt – or not.
I find this particularly interesting in the context of corporate culture, having observed some pretty toxic bosses “infect” their staffs and encourage cultures where competition, backstabbing, emotional abuse and just plain incompetence were so rampant that you could feel the powerlessness and despair when you walked in the door. It didn’t surprise me a bit to learn that profitability often (but not always) suffered in those places. Recently the concept of corporate bullying is finally coming to light as something of a national problem. While I’m saddened that the corporate world hasn’t taken on the issue of boss-bullying itself – waiting for things to get so bad that states have to start proposing legislation – I’m not terribly surprised. After all, toxic behavior perpetuates because it becomes part of the culture and harder to see once you’re trapped inside.
Leaders Establish Culture
Don’t let any cowardly leader try to worm out of this one. Leaders establish culture. They decide – too often unconsciously – what behavior is tolerated and what is not .Thanks to Boyatzis, now we know why leaders have such a powerful influence on culture-creation – because their emotions are infecting everyone around them. The science is demonstrating what anyone can feel after a few minutes around a toxic leader brewing a poisonous culture.There is hope when leadership is reclaimed, however, and this quote from the Boyatzis article particularly resonated with me:
You are infecting others around you with specific feelings. Some of those feelings help them to perform better and innovate and some are debilitating and inhibit adaptive thinking. Remember, negative feelings, even the unconscious ones, will easily overwhelm positive ones. The leader, because of his/her position of power, has a greater affect on others in a social or work environment. Being able to change your internal state might be one of the most powerful techniques you learn in becoming an effective leader– one who inspires others to learn, adapt and perform at their best.
Use Your Power For Good
The good news is that the ability to emotionally infect your staff and teams can be used for good by leaders who understand their responsibility to foster a positive environment and culture where others are in their power and able to perform at their best. To be a good leader, then, you need to invest in yourself first and master your ability to manage your internal state – making you an InPower leader. This benefits you personally, of course, but it also makes you a better leader and able to manage others – infecting them with positive qualities that help them be more effective.We’re all human and our teams like us that way. That old “I’m a leader I can’t show weakness” bull-hockey is something your staff sees right through, so if you have hesitation about stepping up to master yourself more proactively, swallow your fear and step into the change. The team will thank you for it as you become more authentic.What is your experience? Have you been the “infector” or the “infected” in business cultures? Do you agree that leaders bear extra responsibility to learn to manage their internal state? What do you do to manage your personal power for your staff?
