Is Your Leadership Contagious ?

Contagious or contagion in the English language is usually used to describe an infectious illness or disease.

We know, even the common cold passes from one person to another, so therefore is contagious. Of course, more serious health issues are also contagious.

But the use of the word is not always confined to negative consequences.

We could say a laugh or even a smile is contagious, as it passes from one person to others.

Enthusiasm also fits into this behavior. Just as laughter will often lead to laughter in those around enthusiasm is characterized by tone of voice, facial expressions and even hand gestures.

Others who see this. will likely mirror this behavior.

The human species is like that. 

We ‘copy’ what others are saying, their tone of voice and body language. 

And usually we don’t realize we’re doing it. 

When it’s a behavior, we enjoy, we’re more likely to copy that, to share it with others.

That’s obvious.

"Leadership behavior. The words we use, the emotions that impact on others positively - even the body language we might be using will, at first unconsciously, be adopted by the person who’s picking this up.

When the leader clearly shows that he is living the values by his words and behavior, the team, seeing that will begin to replicate what they’re saying from the leader.

When the leader talks positively about the future, the team will also begin to talk positively about what we’re going to achieve in the future. After all, that’s exciting and it’s motivating.

When the leadership encourages individual ‘to find a better way’, to challenge what may have been long-standing practice, the individual is likely to do this with others.

When the leader encourages a team member to go beyond what that team member believed here she was capable of, the result of this and genders such a positive feeling in the individual, but most likely they will pass this on for others to be able to do the same.

Just as recognizing and celebrating the good, positive actions of the team or the individual will be done genuinely and often, create positive feelings in those receiving this, and those on the receiving end, will want to pass it on - because of how they felt when they received this.

Each of The Five Practices of Exemplary in The Leadership Challenge create positive opportunities for contagious behavior. 

Just like a ripple can go around the world (metaphorically) so can the positive outcomes of your leadership. 

They can certainly go around your world. 

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