Friday, April 2, 2010

How to start a movement.

A couple of days ago i was watching a talk by Derek Sivers called How to start a movement. In this video there some sort of a gathering (concert/picnic, i cannot tell based on the camera angle. But there's this guy, he is shirtless and dancing alone on the hill where other people are sitting down watching whatever the function is. So here is this shirtless guy standing alone dancing to god knows who. Some people may be thinking "who is this loser" or "what is he doing", but suddenly some brave guy goes and starts dancing with him. Now this is what i like, Derek Sivers discusses how most peoples perception on "starting a movement" is that it needs a heroic leader. But is that really the MAIN variable to "start a movement", he talks about the climax of this situation at the point where the FIRST follower goes and joins him, he "transforms a lone nut into a leader." As the first follower comes others suddenly start flowing in, in a matter of minutes the crowd turns into 5,10,20,30. This is very interesting because it shows exactly how to make a movement. You have to remember to "nurture" the first few members as equals, he states that leadership is "overglorified" and although the first guy gets the credit, it really is the first follower who starts the movement. Derek says "Have the courage to follow and show others to follow, when you see a 'loan nut doing something great have the guts to be the first one to stand up and join in'