#7 | What can L&OD learn from virologists?
Positive Virality is what it's called!
Hello!
A major, but overlooked, design element of a Leadership Development, Culture, or Well-being program is ‘Positive Virality’: a term that describes how participants of a program get infected with positive energy of change and then transmit it (like a virus) to other participants.
The concept of virality is one we tend to reserve for what’s large scale: marketing campaigns, widely-prevalent beliefs, contagious diseases... But at a smaller scale like that of a developmental cohort, it’s overlooked. Ironically, it’s just what underpins the success and impact of your program.
So, how does Positive Virality take place? How does positive energy get transmitted? Read on for 6 insights that sound strangely similar to world events since 2020, and which you may consult to create positive, infectious change within any developmental program:
A 'super-spreader event' at the beginning is a must: It pays off to invest a disproportionate amount of energy into designing a powerful launch to the program. For instance, Potentialife’s programs always begin with a one-day Self-discovery Workshop, which kickstarts Positive Virality every single time.
There is no such thing as 'immunity to change': There often is immunity to imposed change. But immunity to change, per se, is rare, because all human beings are deeply invested in growing their own well-being and happiness. A program which starts with an agenda of personal growth crucially lowers people's defenses and immunity.
Incubation period is 2-3 months: To be truly infected by the bug of positive life and leadership habits, it takes far more than the 21-day number that's often cited. Discovering self-concordant goals and experimenting with different habits cannot be achieved in a time-bound manner. Acknowledging this helps you resist the urge to pivot the program prematurely, and this also allows gives Positive Virality time to take root.
Energy of change gains momentum through 'community transmission': Small, close-knit buddy groups help to maximize Positive Virality and spread energy of change, as each participant infects others, and in turn gets re-infected when they feel a dip.
‘Mask down moments’ are important: When face masks are down, diseases spread faster. When ‘stage masks’ are down, transmission of Positive Virality happens quicker. Ritualized connects where participants share small victories, or even meet without an agenda. are where stage masks are put down to spread Positive Virality.
'Mutation' makes the change more powerful: Programs often transform and enter a new phase. For instance, from focusing on personal leadership development to then building organizational competencies. Allowing - or better still - designing for mutations co-created by participants strengthens the impact of a program.
If you take away only one thought from this edition, we hope it’s this: Positive Virality ought to be intentionally induced in order for participants to continuously be infected by positive energy, and continuously transmit that energy to each other.
Only then can even the best-designed program create deep impact.
Until the next edition!
