Leadership and Movement
This video shows how movements happen. It shows a lone gutsy individual, takes the risk of ridicule or rejection and embarks on a lonesome journey.
This dancing lonesome nut has demonstrated a simple act that was so easy to follow that it took the entire crowd by storm.
That’s leadership at its best. Are there leadership lessons in this 3 minute act? You bet!
The first dancer dances alone. The crowd looks at him with surprise and chagrin. In time, the ‘first follower‘ gathers the courage to join him. The first follower is the one that sets an example to follow. He is even brave enough to call his friends to join in.
Notice that the first dancer accepts his first follower as an equal. There is no leadership. It’s ‘them’ dancing together.
Followers, bravo!
Think about this. Do we ever acknowledge and applaud the courage of the first followers? Often not.
First followership is a valid form of leadership. The first follower is the one who transformed the first lonesome nut into a leader. He is the one that sparked the fire that engulfed the crowd, made the movement.
When the first follower joins, two nuts are in action. This duo would be lonesome unless others join. The turning point comes when the 2nd follower joins in. This 2nd follower validates the 1st follower, and it’s no longer a lone nut or two nuts in an act.
See how the movement evolves. The crowd of three creates the buzz; others take notice. Two others join, then three, then five, and a momentum is set. The fire spreads. The pendulum has now swung. The fence sitters risk being ridiculed for NOT joining in. Everyone wants to join the crowd, and be part of the popular movement.
Leadership Lessons
In the corporate world, in business as well as in community, don’t we often sing the glories of the leader alone? We need to promote the first followers, too. The first few followers follow the first follower, not the leader.
That’s how movements are made.
Are you a self-starter, the equivalent to the first dancing guy in this video?
Be visible, and be easy to follow. When first few followers hit the ground and join you, nurture them as equals. It’s no longer about you. Whatever you do, it’s all all about the movement.
What do you attribute the success of this movement to? The glorified leader?
Remember the first dancer was a lone nut. Public almost ridiculed him until the first follower tranformed him into a leader. Would there be a movement without the first follower?
Why do most movements fail? Because our culture decrees us all to be leaders.
Want to make a successful movement? Find a lone nut doing something significant, something that matters to you. Muster the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in. Attract others, and show them how to follow.
Official transcript at http://sivers.org/ff
If you’ve learned a lot about leadership and making a movement, then let’s watch a movement happen, start to finish, in under 3 minutes, and dissect some lessons:
A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous. But what he’s doing is so simple, it’s almost instructional. This is key. You must be easy to follow!
Now comes the first follower with a crucial role: he publicly shows everyone how to follow. Notice the leader embraces him as an equal, so it’s not about the leader anymore – it’s about them, plural. Notice he’s calling to his friends to join in. It takes guts to be a first follower! You stand out and brave ridicule, yourself. Being a first follower is an under-appreciated form of leadership. The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader. If the leader is the flint, the first follower is the spark that makes the fire.
The 2nd follower is a turning point: it’s proof the first has done well. Now it’s not a lone nut, and it’s not two nuts. Three is a crowd and a crowd is news.
A movement must be public. Make sure outsiders see more than just the leader. Everyone needs to see the followers, because new followers emulate followers – not the leader