The Fish Rots From the Head
How culture is driven from the very top
The proverb ‘a fish rots from the head’ has its origins shrouded in mystery. Many countries and cultures lay claim to it, including the English, the Turks and the Chinese, but the actual source is lost in antiquity.
It’s a metaphor for leadership, be it in business, religion or a country. It’s not biologically true, of course, as fish actually rot from the gut first, but it’s a good analogy and makes a lot of sense.
It means the direction, strategy, culture and behaviour of an organisation are mandated by the leadership, not the minions.
As a general rule, people follow and copy their leader. They may not agree with him or her, of course, but we humans have a natural tendency to follow.
You’ll see it in organisations with strong leaders; their team will imitate their mannerisms and personality traits. Maybe not as an exact carbon copy, but there will be similarities, just as your accent will begin to change when you move to a new area. Of course, the younger the team, the more malleable they tend to be and thus more likely to emulate the person in charge.
To an outsider, this will be obvious, to people entrenched within the culture, not so much. But if you stand back and observe, you’ll notice…
