June 9, 2011 in Articles by Joshua Matthews

Rush Hour Social Leadership

Everyday on her morning commute Rebecca merges into heavy traffic. She and everyone else trying to merge has to pull a Stella and “rely on the kindness of strangers”.

What she noticed over time is this:

• If the first car in the heavy traffic lane allows the first car trying to merge to do so, the vehicles behind this first car follow a polite pattern of taking turns to allow both lines of cars to merge. How nice.

• If the first vehicle in traffic does not allow the first merging car to do so, then the vehicles behind this pace setter follow suit and don’t allow other vehicles to merge.

Same drivers, same cars going to the same place everyday and yet their behavior is predicated on the choice of the random stranger who jumped on the highway 4 seconds before them.

It’s amazing the influence one small act can have to perpetuate behavior or choice.

In the traffic of life it’s good to know who’s right behind us, but it’s even more important to know who we will let in so that we may follow. Choose wisely.