Sr. Director of Product Management and Head of UX at On leadership.
Derek Sivers gave an interesting TED talk on leadership. Great video that really breaks down the process of starting a movement.
My notes:
- A leader needs the guts to stand out and look ridiculous (most of us know this already).
- But what really was the key takeaway for me was:
You must be EASY TO FOLLOW
What you do should be SO SIMPLE, it should be ALMOST INSTRUCTIONAL. - The first follower has a crucial role: He publicly shows everyone else how to follow. Being a first follower is an under-appreciated form of leadership. Like the leader, the first follower needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed. The first follower TRANSFORMS a lone nut into a leader.
- The leader must embrace and nurture his first follower as an equal. This is where the leader should check his ego at the door – it should never be about the leader or the follower, it should always be ABOUT THE CAUSE.
- The second follower is the turning point – and it’s PROOF that the first follower has done well.
- NEW followers emulate followers, NOT the leader.
- As more people jump in and start following, it’s no longer risky to join in on the movement.
- Leadership is over-glorified. The leader may get all the credit, but it is the first follower that transforms the lone nut into a leader. There is no movement without the first follower.
- If you are not the leader, the best way to make a movement (if you really care) is to courageously follow and show others how to follow.
Here’s the video: