People do what people see.
People pay attention to what you do – not only to what you say. Those who model the right actions give others a picture to align with and make success easier for them. Good leadership keeps the goal in view and never loses sight of practical execution.
The law in detail
Four steps through the law: understand, check, connect, apply. Open any topic to read more.
The core messageWhat the law says – and what it doesn’t
The people around you take their cue more from what you do than from what you say. What you model becomes the standard – especially when things get uncertain.
- It does not say
- That words are unnecessary. You have to explain the vision; your behavior makes it credible.
- That you have to be flawless. A good example also shows how you deal with your own mistakes.
- Strictly speaking
- People don’t imitate automatically. They mainly adopt the behavior of people they respect, who are similar to them and where they can see that it pays off.
- There is good evidence that leadership behavior carries over from one level to the next – for better and for worse. That is why your bad example has just as much effect as your good one.
- Applies to
- Every role in which others watch you: as a project lead, department head or managing director, as a small-group leader in church, as a coach in a club and as a mother or father at the kitchen table.
The explanationWhat the law means and why it works
The people who follow you – on a team, in a project or in a congregation – don’t see the situation from your perspective.
It is up to you to make the goal understandable and to show through your own actions what the way there looks like. If you lead leaders, your example often carries through them to further levels.
Especially in turbulent times, people watch closely how those who carry responsibility behave. Those who lead well amid uncertainty keep the vision alive and remain a bulwark of hope for others.
The signs3 signs the law is at work · 3 that it is missing
- You keep the rules you ask of others yourself – on punctuality, tone and how mistakes are handled.
- In turbulent times you stay visible, approachable and calm instead of withdrawing.
- You recognize your own habits in the behavior of the people around you – right down to how the leaders below you lead – and you change yourself first.
- You demand commitment but leave early yourself when things get tight.
- Habits you criticize show up around you – and you model them yourself.
- Mission statement and announcements sound good, but no one follows them because your behavior shows something else.
The research5 sources: 4 primary studies, 1 book · 1961–2009 · with the limits of the research
- low
- moderate
- high
High – Learning from models; passing on leadership behavior across levels.
- 1961Albert Bandura, Dorothea Ross & Sheila A. Ross
Classic experiment: children imitate the observed behavior of adult models.
- 1977Albert Bandura
Theory of social learning through observation.
- 1987Bernard M. Bass et al.
Transformational leadership reappears at the next level down (“domino effect”).
- 2005Michael E. Brown, Linda K. Treviño & David A. Harrison
Ethical leadership works through role modeling; development and validation of a measure.
- 2009David M. Mayer et al.
Ethical leadership of top management trickles down via direct supervisors.
Models are adopted selectively, depending on status, similarity and observed consequences – not automatically.
The originJohn C. Maxwell · “The Law of the Picture”
- 1998OriginJohn C. Maxwell
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Law 5
- The Law of the PictureIn essence: People follow the picture their leader models for them.
- todayWEGVISOR: The Law of the Picture
The WEGVISOR version, the “Law of the Picture”, puts this in the core statement “People do what people see.” Research on learning from models clearly supports it, but shows that imitation is selective – it depends on standing, similarity and visible consequences.
The related laws and qualitiesQ18 Self-Discipline · Q19 Servanthood · L13 Addition · L01 Lid
Before you can model anything for others, you have to lead yourself. Self-discipline makes your example reliable rather than random.
When you serve, others see how you treat people. That picture shapes how people treat one another more than any rule.
Adding value to others shows in actions, not intentions. That is how serving becomes visible and something others can imitate.
Whoever follows you adopts your way of leading. So your lid also sets the limits of the example you give.
The action points5 stages of growth – from first awareness to passing it on
- Become aware Watch yourself today and in the evening note one behavior that people around you see in you and probably pick up from you.
- Lay the foundations Choose one behavior you expect from others and model it yourself this week, visibly and without exception.
- Make it a habit Every Friday, check where your actions didn't match what you ask of others, and correct the gap in the following week.
- Deepen deliberately Ask two people you work closely with where your behavior under pressure departs from your words, and deliberately show calm and confidence in the next turbulent phase.
- Pass it on This month, help a colleague, a project member or someone you mentor to visibly model a behavior they expect from others; if you lead leaders yourself, agree together on which standards you all visibly model.
The reflection questions5 questions for you or a conversation with others
- Which habit of the people around me can I trace back to myself?
- Where do I demand something I don’t model myself?
- What do the people around me see when I’m under pressure?
- What would colleagues, my team, my church or my children copy if they watched me for a week?
- For whom am I a credible example, and for whom am I too far away – for instance the levels that rarely see me?
Take your time with one question. Write down your answer – or talk it over with someone you trust.
The picture to rememberWherever the leader goes, the team follows – along exactly the same line.
- Wherever the leader goes, the team follows – along exactly the same line.
What the Law of the Picture looks like in practice
The CEO who slept on the production line
During the Model 3 “production hell,” Elon Musk didn’t stay in his office; he slept in the Tesla factory right at the production line. Giving up his comfort pushed many employees to work harder themselves.
Backwards over the bar to Olympic gold
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Dick Fosbury went over the bar backwards while coaches and experts scoffed. He won gold with an Olympic record, and his technique soon became the worldwide standard.
Bleeding, but still fighting in the World Cup final
In the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina, Bastian Schweinsteiger played on despite a bleeding wound, inspiring teammates and millions of fans. The documentary also shows how he fought back from injuries and criticism.
