It has taken a puppy to remind me how much followers adapt to the behavior of their leader.
I can get my Zoe riled up in a nanosecond. With just one gleeful shout, it’s game on. If I’m excited, she is triple that, and it’s hard to get her settled. But if I’m calmly working on my computer, she is most often content chewing on a bone or sleeping.
I’ve seen similar reactions with leaders. If they are visibly tense or anxious before an important meeting, their staff members mimic those emotions and become hyped up as well. Calm leaders exude tranquility in the ranks even when the stakes are high. I’m guessing the pattern holds true for parents, who can foster excitability in their children or help instill a more moderate temperament overall.
It’s a plug for cultivating emotional intelligence to become conscious not only of your own emotions, but of their impact on others. You’re creating a culture with how you act, whether you do so intentionally or not.
