Leaders are Always Teaching Whether We Mean to or Not

Back on the air...the wire...the line...oh, whatever.

Here is a useful link for those of us who lead high-relationship organizations (like churches).  It is called, "Two Psychological Theories All Leaders Should Know."

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/do-the-right-thing/201307/two-psychological-theories-all-leaders-should-know

The two theories are 1) observational learning theory, and 2) social contagion theory.  Observational learning theory is rooted in the work on social learning by Albert Bandura and colleagues.  One of the elements of this theory that strikes me is a description of "factors that increase the likelihood that a behavior will be imitated."  

Some of those factors are internal to us.  For example, we are more likely to imitate a behavior if we have been rewarded in the past for imitating that behavior.  For example, a lay member of the congregation watches others read the Bible lessons at worship.  The member takes a risk and serves as a reader for the first time at worship.  Other members are supportive and complimentary.  The novice reader immediately signs up to do it again.  Of course, the reverse is also likely true.  Negative comments will almost guarantee that there will be no repeat performance.

We will tend to imitate the behavior of others when we don't think we know what we're doing.  Visitors come to a church service for the first time.  They are uncertain about how to do things at that church.  So they intently observe the "regulars" to get cues on how to behave.  If the observations of the visitors are not quite accurate, the results can be embarrassing.  I have noted some pretty novel methods, for example, of taking communion when the new folks don't quite see how it was done by the regulars.

I am most interested in the factors that depend on someone in leadership.  People will be more likely to imitate someone we perceive as warm and nurturing.  A leader who smiles (genuinely) will have more imitators. People will repeat behaviors when they see that others are rewarded for similar behaviors.  People will imitate those they see as in positions of authority and/or trust.  People will imitate people who appears like them in terms of age, gender and interests.  People will imitate people whom they admire, and/or perceive to be of higher status.

(This list comes from http://psychology.about.com/od/oindex/fl/What-Is-Observational-Learning.htm).

It should be obvious what this means for pastors and other worship leaders.  I am often surprised, however, by how little of this understanding is actually reflected in pastoral leadership practice.  For example, it is easy for us worship-leader types to be so engrossed in last minute details before worship that we barely notice the people who are coming to participate.  Our distraction and frustration may even be reflected on our faces as we begin the service.

And then we are puzzled as to why our congregants have negative affects as they sit in our worship centers.  They are simply imitating what they see.  They have engaged in observational learning.

This is a simple and powerful tool.  As leaders, we can shape the culture of our organizations in profound ways at a pre-conscious level.  Of course, that requires that we are intensely conscious of the lessons we are sharing with our own behavior.