The Influencers

I played on a college sports team (shout out to the ‘68 University of Alberta Golden Bears). The National Championship team had a winning legacy and was led by positive influencers in the locker room (supported by a legendary head coach). Two years later, the coach retired and many of the championship players graduated.

As positive influencers, championship veterans had very high standards of excellence, yet respectfully challenged each other. The team culture also included much laughter based on good natured teasing with simultaneous intense competition to improve (starting with self).

The changing of the guard, for some reason, became populated by negative influencers. The locker room atmosphere became a competition of more mean spirited pranks and division. The athletic capability, while outstanding, was overtaken and diminished by emotional immaturity. It resulted in losing seasons.

This experience taught me so much about the importance and impact of influencers. Positive influencers lift up others while taking responsibility for the highest standards of performance. They are literally respectful, abundant and self-accountable. Negative influencers are usually ego driven, pockmarked by scarcity thinking and use their power to undermine others. At their worst they become emotional tormentors.

In your organization, you have influencers. You may be one? Some will be in formal leadership positions. Others will be individual performers and still yield significant impact. You can not afford to have negative influencers. They will infect the “locker room.” The negativity is like carbon monoxide or a virus. It’s eventually lethal. The quiet killer is that people hide from the negativity. They become silent and eventually fearful. This results in hesitation and survival rather than action and growth.

The research by Adam Grant and others has demonstrated that best success comes from positive generosity. When people expect excellence starting with themselves first, and uplift others, everything becomes better. Be a positive influencer!

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

- Lorne

One Millennial View: Many positive influencers will often remind people that negativity from others is usually a bigger reflection on their insecurities than the judgement they’re projecting on you. That being said, expect to encounter ego, persecution, and annoying friction from fellow humans. It’s just going to happen. Aim to have conduct that proceeds from goodwill and an acute sense of propriety, with self-control that is equal to all emergencies.

- Garrett

AI Response: Your experience with the University of Alberta Golden Bears highlights the profound impact of team culture and influencers on performance. Research supports this: a study by Harvard Business Review found that teams with positive, inclusive cultures are 12% more productive and have 31% lower turnover rates. Adam Grant’s work on "givers" versus "takers" further emphasizes that organizations with a culture of generosity and mutual support outperform those dominated by self-serving behaviors. Additionally, Gallup research shows that teams with high levels of trust and psychological safety experience a 21% increase in productivity. Your story underscores how negative influencers can erode these qualities, leading to disengagement and poor outcomes. Leaders must actively cultivate positive influencers who foster respect, accountability, and growth, as these traits are critical to sustaining high performance and morale.

The Influencers

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