You don’t get to decide if you’re a role model. Somebody younger already decided. Act like it.

Influence is assigned by the person watching, not claimed by the person being watched. Somewhere there is a younger sibling, cousin or teammate who has quietly picked you, and they are copying things you do not know you do. Declining the title does nothing to stop the copying.

Assume you are being watched by someone you respect and behave that way for a week. Not performing, just holding a slightly higher line on the things you would otherwise let slide. Notice whether it is actually harder or only unfamiliar.