Chapter III · Śloka 21
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः |
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ||
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ||
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ |
sa yat pramāṇaṃ kurute lokas tad anuvartate ||
sa yat pramāṇaṃ kurute lokas tad anuvartate ||
Whatever the best person does, others follow. Whatever standard such a person sets, the world adopts.
Leadership is mimetic: people look to those they esteem and unconsciously replicate their behavior. This is both a warning and an opportunity — those with influence shape the moral culture of the world, whether they intend to or not.