Group cohesion and conformity are strongest in spring and fall, according to a study from the University of British Columbia. How might that influence your leadership — or more importantly, the actions you take in your faith?
Why morals might shift
Spring and fall might be the time when people feel most anxious, for a variety of reasons. There’s a lot of change and pressure to be doing. Coming together might offer a sense of support and safety through all of that.
The pros and cons of having morals fluctuate
On the positive side of this, now is a fantastic time to pull teams together and tackle projects. People are going to be more willing to show their loyalty and work in a way that that’s unifying within the traditions of your business.
But on the negative side, this isn’t the best time for care and fairness. There’s less focus on individuality. So, it might be easier to stifle innovative ideas that break norms, and to disregard individual cases of mistreatment. The specific needs or desires someone has are more likely to get shoved to the back burner.
What the study means for you as a Christian
Now, through a Christian lens, we must be careful of groupthink, not just for the way it can halt progress, but for the way it can lead us to do harm. Consider the way the crowd cried for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. So, this is the time to be on your guard about the herd wanting to travel in the wrong direction. You might have to be the voice that lays out the evil in what’s popularly wanted.
The other point is, although you don’t have to waste the energy your team might find, this is the time to prove to the lost sheep that care and fairness will not be lost. Listen more carefully than ever to each person. Consider them case by case, not as one-size-fits-all. Wisdom and love must form the staff by which you keep each person willing to trust you.
Have you noticed that people seem more willing to demonstrate group values right now? How might you talk about the importance of moral stability with your team?