{"id":3145,"date":"2009-09-24T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2009-09-24T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/2009\/09\/leadership-and-the-law-of-replication.html"},"modified":"2009-09-24T07:00:43","modified_gmt":"2009-09-24T12:00:43","slug":"leadership-and-the-law-of-replication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/leadership-and-the-law-of-replication\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership and the Law of Replication"},"content":{"rendered":"

My dad was injured in the Korean War, a few years before I was born. As a result of that injury, he walks with a limp. As a young boy, I unconsciously emulated him. I just thought that was the way grown men walked.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com\/JLBarranco<\/div>\n

When I was about three or four, I remember my Mom saying to me, “Mike, you don’t need to walk with a limp. Dad walks that way because he was hurt in the war.” Regardless, I still walked with a limp for another year or so, simply because I wanted to be like my dad.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This was the “law of replication” in action. This law says that like begets like.<\/em> Dogs beget dogs. Trees beget trees. And people beget people.<\/p>\n

This law also applies to leadership. Like it or not, you will replicate yourself. Your followers will adopt your behaviors, habits, and—if you have a strong personality— even your mannerisms.<\/p>\n

Years ago, I remember visiting one of our authors at his corporate headquarters. I was amused to see his staff imitating him, down to the cadence of his speech and the inflection of his voice. It was as if they were paid impersonators.<\/p>\n

This has powerful implications for leadership. Unconsciously, your people will mimic you. This means:<\/p>\n