One of my favorite Ted talks is about how to start a movement by Derek Sivers. He uses a video from a music festival in Europe as an example of how a movement is built in about 3 minutes.
One of the things he says is that “the first follower turns a lone nut into a leader.” In that way, the first follower is almost as important as the leader. The old proverb says, “He that thinketh he leadeth, and hath no one following, is only taking a walk.”
When we get desperate for leaders, it’s easy to start by looking for the stereotypes.
Do they look the part?
Are they young?
How much Bible knowledge do they have?
Can they gather a crowd?
We sometimes miss the most important part – is anyone following them? Skills for leadership can be taught, but the ability to go from a lone nut to a leader is innate. Leaders that start movements find a way to be heard, but unless you recognize and nurture them, it may not be at your organization. It may be time to start the music and see who leads the dance.
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