Following the leader vs the first person

I often see my 2-year-old kid mimic the things my 4-year-old kid says and does, even when she doesn’t know what she’s repeating. It makes me think that there’s a human tendency to just do whatever the person next to you is doing. That sounds very dangerous. Following should be a choice, not a knee jerk reaction. Follow a leader, not just the person who’s first in line. Or better yet, be a leader.