One of my favorite parts about Derek Siver’s clip “How to Start a Movement” came at the very beginning when he was placing the emphasis on the importance of the first person in the movement. He phrased it something like the first follower turns the lone nut into a leader.
While the sentence itself is funny and true, I think it is beneficial to recognize the importance of the first follower. In order to gain a first follower it is important to be able to connect with them and make it matter to them. You have to know people’s beliefs and values in order for the movement to gain any type of momentum. This is directly reminding me of rhetoric. If the followers cannot be persuaded, then the movement will never start or grow to make a difference.
However, in realizing that a movement has to speak to what is important to the follower, I think the follower needs to be acutely aware of their beliefs. Not all movements are good, (Hitler anyone?) but they are still able to attract followers because people may not have a firm foundation about what they believe. It is my opinion that it is only when our beliefs our solid that the best changes can happen in the world.
While this isn’t specifically talking about a movement, this idea does correlate with Simon Sinek’s clip on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” His reasoning is people don’t care about the product a company produces; they care why the company made it. Being able to use beliefs is an important tool in creating change.
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