Old Information

Written by Randy Mayes

I recently received a letter at my house addressed to the previous owner. That would not have caught my attention except that I have owned my home for over 20 years. Someone took the time and effort to take action and send a letter, but ultimately, it was ineffective because their course of action was based on old information. 

It got me thinking about old, outdated information regarding leading people. Several traditional axioms come to mind:

“Hire slow, fire fast.”

“People don’t do what you expect, they do what you inspect.”

While these phrases may seem to offer a sense of certainty and control, they are not supported by current neuroscience findings. They are derived from a fear-based approach to leadership, with the underlying assumption that people can’t be trusted. You have to watch them because they will take advantage of you. This is a surprising revelation, isn’t it? But it also opens up possibilities for positive change in our leadership approaches. 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a group of Italian neuropsychologists worked with Maqucak monkeys and discovered what we now call mirror neurons. These mirror neurons are prevalent in all primates, including humans. They seamlessly work subconsciously, picking up the intentions, attitudes, and actions of those we observe. Now here is the kicker, we just as seamlessly model back those same intentions, attitudes, and actions at a subconscious level. This underscores the importance of understanding the impact of our actions on others, especially in a leadership role. 

If you show up with distrust and skepticism, your team will mirror that back to you. Is that what you want? If you want your team to trust you, you must lead openly and trust yourself. You are the leader. You set the tone. You define the game. The best leaders are champions of trust, and trust starts with you.