Why the first follower creates the movement
Originally posted on LinkedIn, July 23, 2024.
A movement does not start with a leader. It starts with the first follower.
In a 5-minute TED video, Derek Sivers breaks down how change happens. The surprising lesson is that leadership is not the main factor:
- The leader must treat the first follower as an equal.
- Three people already make a crowd, and a crowd attracts attention.
- New followers imitate the other followers, not the leader.
- Eventually, joining becomes less risky and more attractive.
- The first follower is the person who turns a “lone nut” into a leader.
When I see someone doing something unusual and interesting, I should not be afraid to be the first person to join. That is how a real movement begins. And when I am the one trying to lead a change, I need to treat the first followers as equals. The change matters more than I do.
I recently joined Novidea, a company that believes in this kind of change. Daniela Krispin, VP R&D, shared this video with us at a particularly interesting stage in the company’s life. Management is leading a shift across the entire development organization, moving from project-based work to product development, with concepts such as Product led growth, DDD, Squads, and CI/CD.
An organization-wide change in mindset requires courage. It also requires understanding that the change itself is what matters, and that the first followers are the people who need to be supported.