The Leadership Amplification Factor

Yesterday my husband and I were discussing a situation where he had been informed the leader of our organization “was really mad” about an issue that was almost comical.  Ray and I talked about this story a good bit and I’ve continued to think about it.

We did pose the question:  do you think the leader was really that upset or did the leader simply mention/question the situation at which time the followers began to pass the question along, down the line and as the question was passed from person to person, the leader’s question became intensified beyond what the leader represented.

I am terming this situation as “The Leadership Amplification Factor” and believe this happens so frequently that we simply do not even realize it.

Leader mentions an idea/question.  Follower #1 hears and asked/mentions information to Follower #2.  Follower #2 filters information through his or her perceptions of both the leader and follower #1 then interprets information for Follower #3. 

The further away from the leader the followers get, the more interpretation is inputted because of lack of direct contact.  Thus, by the time the question or mention gets to possibly Follower #5 or #6, it is likely less about what the original question/mention was and mostly interpretation.

This is why an organization must be built on values.  I do not mean having a set of values tacked to the walls throughout the organization either, I mean values that are imbued, saturated throughout the very fibers of the organization.  That way, it wouldn’t matter as much about distance from the leader, rather every person would understand value and hopefully respond in alignment with that value.

This diagram depicts the way values can work in an organization, linking everyone together with a common belief.

The Leadership Amplification Factor holds two important lessons:

• As a leader, you must recognize the amplification that is possible and guard against being over-dramatic in areas that do not align with values.  We must also remember to ground responses in values which will help neutralize amplification.
• As a follower, when information is provided to us, remember the amplification that may be attached and ask important questions about urgency and intensity of the situation.  If the values do not underscore the situation, inquire about this.