The Science Behind a Leader’s Mindset
Written by Connie Fiscus
“Monkey see, monkey do.” It is an old playground phrase, but it points to something fundamental about human behavior: we are wired to watch and respond to the people around us.
Ever catch a yawn from across the room? Or wince when someone slams their hand in a door? Those reactions remind us how quickly we respond to what we observe in others, especially when the person being watched is the leader.
Full disclosure: I am a leadership practitioner, not a neuroscientist. I study the science behind human behavior because understanding why we do what we do helps me better serve the leaders and employees I coach and train.
Here comes the good stuff.
In the early 1990s, researchers at the University of Parma in Italy were studying macaque monkeys. They discovered neurons in a monkey’s brain that fired when the monkey reached for and grasped a peanut. Then something fascinating happened: those exact same neurons in the monkey fired when it did nothing more than watch a researcher reach for and grasp a peanut. Researchers named these cells mirror neurons.
Mirror neurons demonstrate just how responsive our brains are to what we observe in other people. We watch, our brains respond, and we often begin to mirror elements of what we see. That same human responsiveness helps us understand emotional contagion, the tendency for moods and emotions to spread from person to person as we pick up facial expressions, tone, body language, tension, and energy.
Here is why it matters in leadership. A leader brings an emotional state into every room. Walk in irritated or impatient, and people may become guarded. Ideas stay unspoken and the team shuts down. Walk in calm, curious, and open, and you create space for people to think, communicate, and contribute. Research shows leader mood can influence team members’ moods and the emotional tone of the group.
Cortisol is part of the body’s stress response, while oxytocin is associated with social connection. Neither is an on-off switch, but leadership behavior helps shape whether employees experience threat or trust.
| Threat-Driven Leadership | High-Trust Leadership |
| Public criticism | Private, respectful feedback |
| Unpredictable reactions | Calm, regulated communication |
| Micromanagement | Appropriate autonomy |
| Changing expectations | Clarity and consistency |
| Punishing the messenger | Praise and recognition |
Culture is what people repeatedly experience.
When employees experience fear, unpredictability, or excessive control (cortisol and the stress response), they become cautious, withhold ideas, and protect themselves. When they experience clarity, fairness, trust, curiosity, and autonomy (oxytocin and social connection), they communicate more openly, collaborate, and contribute.
For Ankeny businesses, this matters. Great culture begins with the mindset and emotional state of the person walking into the room – the leader.
So perhaps the most important culture question is not, “What kind of culture do we have?” It is, “What is it like to work around me?”
A leader’s emotional state does not stop with the leader. It influences how people think, speak, and perform, becoming part of the culture they experience. Culture is not created by what leaders intend. It is created by what people experience from them.
If the answer to “What is it like to work around me?” is not creating the culture you want, I can help you elevate it through leadership coaching, training, and development. Let’s connect!
🌻 Learn ~ Apply ~ Grow ~ Thrive!
Connie Fiscus, MHA, Certified Master Coach
Founder & CEO – Sunflower People & Culture Solutions, LLC
CoachConnieFiscus.com | (515) 321-6427
