All of your actions and perceived actions will be replicated throughout the organization. They will not be replicated in the way that you think though - they will be weighted towards the negative, comfortable or short-term reward behaviors. Make these assumptions as you act throughout the day:
- PERCEPTION: It isn’t just what leaders do but what others perceive them doing as they look through their own lenses with limited information.
- 20% POSITIVE: Assume that only about 20% of your positive behaviors will get noticed and replicated.
- 5X NEGATIVE: Assume that anything you do that is remotely seen as negative, comfortable or short-term will get replicated 5X over what you actually did.
Retired General Stanley McChrystal describes this in his autobiography where an action as simple as rubbing his eyes in a daily video conference update would have people talking “What is wrong with the boss? Was it something I said?”
Learn more about how we are all mostly wired.
