So I was recently watching a TED talk that was inspired by the popular "First Follower" YouTube video shown below. This clip is funny, bizarre, "crazy", and powerful, if you haven't seen it I would highly recommend a quick watch! (At the very least watch the first 20 seconds and last 20 seconds to see what happens!).
As funny as this video is, there are some incredible lessons and insights we can take away about leadership and the power of belief in a common cause or purpose- many are well described by Derek Sivers in this TED presentation on How to Start a Movement.
What do You Believe In?
When I watch this video the realization that it is so important to truly understand who you are and what you believe in is incredibly solidified.
It is not easy to be a true leader or the first follower.
In complete honesty I can say that I would not be the leader or first followers dancing on the grass… I would be one of the ones watching (and probably laughing and making fun) from the comfort of the crowd… Only to join in when I know I was identity was safe and I was moving in the disguise of the masses…
How many of you would be with me??
What it Takes to be a Leader?
And in that fear of standing out from the crowd comes the great opportunity to be a leader and create change. In this video the leader and first followers didn't care what other people would think of them, they were intrinsically motivated, comfortable, AND confident in their decision to act, stand out, and look at what happens as a result.
The Beauty of Leadership
Leadership is not easy. And while I would qualify that the "leader" in this video was not our typical high-performance leader with an end goal and strategy in mind- perhaps it illustrates the pure dynamics of leadership even better…
- It is not pretty
- It is not popular
- It is not glamorous
- It is not winning a championship game or leading a political movement the first day out
What it's all About!
But this video clearly illustrates so many fundament components of leadership, and being a leader:
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Knowing who you are and being confident in that
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Standing up for what you believe in with confidence, especially when your standing alone
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The support and growth process that takes place over time as the leader continues to believe in the cause on their own.
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The tipping point: the moment where traction and momentum become real forces and an event takes place that all of the members individually could not have created (or probably imagined) on their own! (***Note: you can hear at the end of the video a girl saying in astonishment "How did he do that?!"
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This could be related to a political uprising or the point where a champion team enters its flow state.
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I am sure you can see how this video and leadership process could be more complexly applied to many of the real world events that have taken place over the past couple of years…
Your Turn!
What do you believe in so passionately that you would be willing to (metaphorically) stand up alone and be the crazy dancer?!
I would love to hear your thoughts, stories, and perspective in the comments! Even if it's just saying HI and letting me know you read the post! I appreciate your energy and involvement in this community!
