
Leadership isn’t about title - it’s about behavior. It’s what you do and how your actions influence others to achieve shared goals. In behavior analytic organizations, this influence is fundamental to success. With two advanced degrees in leadership and extensive experience training and coaching thousands of leaders, I can confidently say that leadership is rooted in behavior. As such, behavior analysis is the DNA of leadership, and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) is the most powerful leadership toolbox in existence.
From this perspective, anyone responsible for achieving results through the behavior of others can be a leader. The higher up the organizational chart you go, the greater your influence—but that influence can go two ways. Leaders can create environments of trust, collaboration, and growth or, conversely, foster fear, disengagement, and stagnation.
Leadership failures across many industries often stem from a lack of robust systems, inconsistent practices, and a fundamental misunderstanding of human behavior. Leaders in these contexts frequently resort to coercion, rely on intuition instead of data, or fail to recognize the environmental factors shaping employee performance. These missteps lead to disengaged teams, high turnover, and diminished organizational success.
Behavioral Myopia
Here’s the irony for behavior analytic organizations: we do understand behavior. In fact, no other field is better equipped to address the root causes of leadership failures. Yet, we often fall into what I call Behavioral Myopia—applying the principles of behavior analysis to our clients but neglecting to use the same science to improve employee performance, leadership behaviors, or organizational systems.
The tools and knowledge we bring to shaping behavior in clinical or educational settings are the same tools needed to lead effectively. When behavior analysts fail to extend their science beyond consumers, we risk perpetuating the same leadership pitfalls we see in other industries, despite having the most powerful leadership toolbox at our disposal.
Addressing this requires a shift in perspective: leadership, like any other behavior, is shaped by the contingencies we create. By embedding behavior analytic principles into leadership practices, we can avoid the common traps that plague other fields and set a standard for effective, ethical leadership.
5 Tips for Navigating Poor Leadership
Unfortunately, poor leadership remains a common challenge in behavior analytic organizations. It creates barriers to success, diminishes trust, and undermines staff morale. To help you navigate these challenges and lead effectively within your sphere of influence, here are five actionable tips grounded in behavior science.
Develop systems that work for your team. When faced with poor leadership, a powerful way to make an impact is by developing systems that support the performance of your team. Even in the absence of strong leadership from above, you can implement systems grounded in behavior analytic principles to clarify expectations, reinforce desired behaviors, and streamline processes.
Start by identifying key performance areas where systems are weak or nonexistent. Use data to pinpoint specific behaviors that need support and create clear, measurable steps for improvement. Implement tools like performance checklists, reinforcement schedules, and feedback loops to establish consistency and accountability.
By creating systems that align with the natural contingencies of your team’s work environment, you can improve both efficiency and morale. Robust systems not only help employees perform better but also provide stability in uncertain or poorly led organizations, allowing your team to thrive despite leadership challenges.
Build strong relationships with colleagues. Trust and collaboration are the antidotes to poor leadership. Strengthen your relationships with coworkers by listening actively, providing reinforcement, and supporting their efforts. These connections not only make the workplace more positive but also create a network of mutual support that can mitigate the negative effects of ineffective leadership.
Embody the four hats of leadership (Gavoni, 2024). Effective leadership requires wearing what I call the four hats of leadership: leading, training, coaching, and managing.
Leading involves motivating others by connecting their work to shared values and goals. It’s the motivating operation that establishes the value of outcomes.
Training ensures skill acquisition by teaching, modeling, and reinforcing desired behaviors.
Coaching focuses on generalizing skills, providing reinforcement and feedback to shape performance in real-world settings.
Managing leverages systems to sustain performance over time, using reinforcement schedules and contingency arrangements for maintenance of key behaviors.
Even in the absence of strong formal leadership, you can adopt these “hats” to guide and support your team.
Advocate for ethical practices and transparency. In environments with poor leadership, fostering ethical behavior and open communication is critical. Create spaces where colleagues feel safe expressing concerns and sharing ideas. Modeling ethical and transparent behavior can inspire others to follow suit, setting a higher standard for the organization.
Document and provide constructive feedback. Poor leadership often manifests in observable behaviors that hinder organizational goals. Document these behaviors and their impacts objectively, focusing on specific actions and outcomes. When appropriate, provide constructive feedback, tying recommendations to the organization’s mission and desired outcomes.
Leadership is ultimately about influencing behavior and achieving results. Effective leaders align key staff behaviors with valued outcomes, creating systems where individuals thrive. This approach not only builds trust and sustainability but also ensures long-term success for clients and organizations alike.
Leadership isn’t confined to the top of the organizational chart. While higher-ranking leaders have broader influence, their impact can go in one of two directions - building environments of growth or creating climates of fear. The science of behavior analysis equips us to lead from any position by focusing on what truly matters: behavior and its results.
Reference
Gavoni, P. (2024). Positional Authority Ain't Leadership: Behavioral Science for Navigating Bull$hit, Optimizing Performance, and Avoiding A$$ Clownery. Heart & Science Consulting
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