you be you
In an office environment there are good people, great people and bad people. They surround you and you cannot help but be influenced by them. Hopefully you are more drawn to the characteristics of the better ones, naturally, however never underestimate how rapidly a negative personality burns through a team too.
The classic copycat characteristic is to behave like your boss. Or their boss if a double jump up the ladder is desired. Often there are people who are incredibly charismatic, seemingly powerful or apparently successful. Staff navigate toward these beacons of the workplace and they are often emulated and adored. There is always a smaller minority who sits and criticizes these most prevalent characters.
All adoration does not matter in the context of getting things done. Not one tiny bit. Replace ‘office environment’ for ‘high school’ and the same social dynamic applies with more or less the same emotive effects.
But what is so special about the beacon that draws people to him or her? Have they read the right books? Attended the right business schools and were taught the right way to behave? Unlikely. They are more likely simply being themselves.
Forced behavior is obvious. People, everyone, can see through this layer of facade exceptionally easily. We are all naturally skilled at spotting this.
In the age of the factory to be like someone else was important. It was a desirable quality when management considered switching out a cog in their machine for a better, more appealing cog.
In the age of the knowledge worker people should be naturally self-directed and working to make their surrounding world better, rather than collecting a regular wage for attendance or adhering to ’smaller, faster, cheaper’ principles.
In seeking the beacon to follow, people aren’t looking for the best, shiniest, most charismatic cog in the machine. Nor should you be.
Be yourself. Don’t emulate someone else, especially someone in your immediate surroundings. If you believe something should be done a certain way, do it that way even if those around you would likely not have.
You are paid to be you. You need to be you because people around you need you to be you. Be the beacon for everyone around you.
(If you are in a company that only values having cogs in a machine, what are you going to do about it?)