Could You Be A Status Junkie?

There is no doubt about it, the ego is powerful, and like it or not, we all have one, but If not kept in check it can run riot with our behaviour, and it feeds on status.

So what do I mean by status in this context?

Status is how we rank ourselves against those around us, the pecking order if you like. It is something we all do, sometimes we are aware of it and other times it happens at an unconscious level, that’s when it can trip us up.

Take for example when you achieve a promotion to a supervisory or management role, your status has been lifted by the organisation in terms of the hierarchical structure. It is then the ego will kick in.
It will start to try and modify your behaviour when around those in a lower status to ensure they know you are at a higher level.

If not kept in check you may even find yourself attempting to lower the status of others, often in subtle ways.
For example, now you are “in charge”, it’s your job to ensure that everyone is doing good work, “right”, you may find yourself regularly pointing out to your people what they are doing wrong or not quite right. Now this comes from a good place within us, it’s usually driven by a positive intent because we want to help them improve, but every time you do that you will be lowering their feeling of status.

We all have a built in need for high self esteem, to feel good about ourselves, it’s a basic human need and can be considered as our internal status. If you consistently only find fault in what they are doing you will lower their status. When this happens the ‘threat’ circuits in their brain will be triggered.

Neuroscientists have discovered that we all have a part of our brain that lights up or is activated, (viewed live via brain scanner), when we feel ‘threatened” by a situation, I am not referring to physical threat where the stronger fight/flight mechanism kicks in, this ‘threat’ is very subtle and is mostly at an unconscious level. The result is we are likely to feel less positive towards this person and less likely to work hard or put in extra effort.

Conversely, there is also a part of our brain that lights up or is activated, when we feel ‘rewarded’ by a situation or person, for example increasing their status. This again is very subtle and is mostly at an unconscious level. The result is we are likely to feel more positive towards this person and more likely to be proactive or put in extra effort.

Regularly only triggering the ‘threat’ circuits or your people will make them less likely to do more than required, i.e. compliance. They will move away from you on the Human Connection Scale™.

So are you a status junkie? If so, what will you do about it?

By Peter Green

Peter is a speaker, workshop facilitator and author. Founder of Limbic Leadership, helping front line leaders harness the brain for massive influence, higher engagement and exceptional results from their teams. Leadership Development Grounded in Neuroscience!