It's not about you, it's about them

Of all the studies of human behaviour, there’s one that’s really got us thinking.

In 1967, researchers at UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers began exploring the values communicated in popular TV shows for kids and teens. They were curious to see how 16 specific values might ebb and flow in their importance when charted across the years.

50 years later, the findings were pretty confronting.

From 1967, ‘belonging to a community’ consistently ranked as the #1 most important value when tweens were asked about their desires for the future. It stayed this way for decades.

By 2007, we were looking at a very different picture. And social media had well and truly arrived on the scene.

After nearly 40 years near the bottom - ranking #15 in 1967, 1987 and 1997 - Fame rose to become the no.1 priority for young audiences. Community-feeling plummeted to #11. By 2017, these 2 values had levelled out to spots #5 and #6, but a noticeable trend was still underway.

Now, it’s easy to point the finger at today’s media landscape. But if we dig a little deeper, we’d say this growing desire for fame says more about our universal need for love and belonging…

And how easy it is for humans to get distracted, and search for meaning and connection in all the wrong places.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably not a teen. But you were, once upon a time! And like us, you might feel overwhelmed from time to time by today’s storytelling giants (news media, advertising, social media) and their ideas about what it means to be ‘successful’ or ‘influential.’

So, why not use UCLA’s study as inspiration to explore your own values and priorities? Especially when it comes to personal or professional leadership.

You might like to ask yourself:

And to go further: Do I find myself craving recognition and external validation? Being the one in the spotlight with all the answers? Or am I focusing on relationships, and learning something new about the world around me?

At the end of the day, life's not actually about us, but the impact we can have on someone else's life.

And leadership is all about creating an environment for others to thrive. A space where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.

The good news is, we don’t need a specific title or position to have that kind of impact. We don’t even need to be famous!

The spotlight can come and go, help or hinder. Community-spirit is pretty timeless though, and you’re never too young or old to become a great leader 😉

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