Birds of a Feather

A recent Harvard Business Review article revealed some interesting research about the perceived power of influence. While marketers spend millions to tap this power of influence among early adopters of their products or services, there is growing evidence that the money they spend may have little or no impact. It seems as though confounding factors that mimic social influence may account for how many of us behave when a new iPhone or other “must have” item hits the market.

The article’s author recalls a common saying that some of you will recognize, “Birds of a feather flock together” and uses it to illustrate how many of our preferences, like much of human behavior, is clustered among friends and in time. While marketers are interpreting our propensity to watch the same TV show or eat at the same restaurant as influence, it may have little or nothing to do with it.

This revelation got me wondering about the influence leaders seem to hold on others at times and what might drive that perceived power. In recent years political parties have increasingly turned to social media as a means of peer-to-peer influence in support of a particular candidate or public policy. This strategy is often accompanied by an expensive and expansive media ad campaign. Do these approaches actually carry influence or would party loyalists support their candidate in spite of these external factors?

Business leaders often seem to ignore the value of alignment when they propose new initiatives. Without clarity, dialogue, and inspiration their best laid plans will likely come up short. The “birds of a feather” mentality so inherent in workplace cultures often stymies any concerted effort to implement change. In this case, a leader can actually exert meaningful influence by being a better communicator.

The study revealed an interesting result when generous and fair incentives were included in friend-to-friend referrals. If the giver could include a discount for the other person, or share a discount with them, their willingness to refer or recommend increased. Perhaps leaders in business would do well to remember that benefits and generosity may wield more influence than the “big stick” so many seem to prefer.