Season 2, Episode 3: Why Does It Feel So Wrong to Be Influenced?

Episode Description

Influencer fatigue, TikTok tips, corporate jargon, lawn envy, and the boss who suddenly wants to “go agile” after reading one McKinsey article—sound familiar?

In this episode of Why Does It Feel So Wrong to Be Human at Work?, hosts Pinaki Kathiari and Chris Lee explore how deeply we're all influenced—by social media, our neighbors, our leaders, and even ourselves. The conversation spans from the science of subconscious mimicry to the ways workplace “best practices” are sometimes just rituals no one remembers the reason for.

Together, they unpack:

• Why influence can feel uncomfortable (even when it’s helpful)
• How unconscious social pressure and mimicry show up at work
• The link between influence, power dynamics, and culture
• What Inception, dopamine, and standing in waiting rooms teach us about human behavior
• How good leaders influence without micromanaging
• How Humanocracy, Dopamine Nation, and How to Win Friends and Influence People offer timeless insight
• Plus: A wild peek at how AI is shaping influence and how even your 4-year-old might not know what’s real anymore.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Neighborhood lawn politics and the roots of influence
• 03:00 – Social media moms, tech TikTok, and the influencer paradox
• 06:30 – Leaders, tone-setting, and the trap of unintentional influence
• 08:30 – Priming experiments and subconscious behavior
• 10:00 – The “standing up” waiting room experiment (you’ve seen this!)
• 12:00 – Generational cycles of influence in the workplace
• 14:00 – The history of influence: from merchants to algorithms
• 16:00 – DEI, conformity, and reprogramming the brain
• 18:00 – When “yes, we can” becomes “we’re burning out”
• 20:00 – Dopamine and the dark side of workplace hustle culture
• 22:00 – Reinventing workplace norms: Bayer and Humanocracy
• 25:00 – Flow state at work and the boxing metaphor
• 27:00 – The subtle influence of workplace structure and experience

Wisdom That Feels So Right

• Humanocracy by Gary Hamel
• Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• TED Talk: How to Fight and Win the Information War by Peter Pomerantsev
• Peter Gabriel’s song “We Do What We’re Told” (inspired by the Milgram Experiment)
• Stanley Milgram's Obedience Study (psychological experiments on authority and compliance)

Mic-Drop Moments

“Influence gives us direction. But too much of it, unchecked, shapes us into something we didn’t choose.”

“Even saying nothing is saying something—especially when you’re a leader.”

“Work should feel like a flow state, not a factory reset.”

Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Gratitude & Support

Shoutout to Local Wisdom for making this podcast possible—and for building the kind of culture that actually feels human. Thanks to SBX Productions for making us sound pro, and to our powerhouse producer Brielle Seracini for keeping the wheels turning.

Join the Movement

If this episode made you smile, made you think, or made you throw your phone across the room—we want to hear about it. Follow, rate, review, and share with friends, teammates, or your boss (subtly). You can also visit whydoesitfeelsowrong.com to keep the conversation going.

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible. 

If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold.

We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.

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