Select Page

by | Jan 26, 2012 | video

If you’ve learned a lot about leadership and making a movement, then let’s watch a movement happen, start to finish, in under 3 minutes, and dissect some lessons:

A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous. But what he’s doing is so simple, it’s almost instructional. This is key. You must be easy to follow!

Now comes the first follower with a crucial role: he publicly shows everyone how to follow. Notice the leader embraces him as an equal, so it’s not about the leader anymore – it’s about them, plural. Notice he’s calling to his friends to join in. It takes guts to be a first follower! You stand out and brave ridicule, yourself. Being a first follower is an under-appreciated form of leadership. The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader. If the leader is the flint, the first follower is the spark that makes the fire.

The 2nd follower is a turning point: it’s proof the first has done well. Now it’s not a lone nut, and it’s not two nuts. Three is a crowd and a crowd is news.

A movement must be public. Make sure outsiders see more than just the leader. Everyone needs to see the followers, because new followers emulate followers – not the leader.

Now here come 2 more, then 3 more. Now we’ve got momentum. This is the tipping point! Now we’ve got a movement!

As more people jump in, it’s no longer risky. If they were on the fence before, there’s no reason not to join now. They won’t be ridiculed, they won’t stand out, and they will be part of the in-crowd, if they hurry. Over the next minute you’ll see the rest who prefer to be part of the crowd, because eventually they’d be ridiculed for not joining.

And ladies and gentlemen that is how a movement is made! Let’s recap what we learned:

If you are a version of the shirtless dancing guy, all alone, remember the importance of nurturing your first few followers as equals, making everything clearly about the movement, not you.

Be public. Be easy to follow!

But the biggest lesson here – did you catch it?

Leadership is over-glorified.

Yes it started with the shirtless guy, and he’ll get all the credit, but you saw what really happened:

It was the first follower that transformed a lone nut into a leader.

There is no movement without the first follower.

We’re told we all need to be leaders, but that would be really ineffective.  The best way to make a movement, if you really care, is to courageously follow and show others how to follow.

When you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in.

© 2010 Derek Sivers

3 Questions That Will Change Your Life TODAY!

by | Jan 25, 2012 | regular

My late father, Dr. Clarence E. Stowers Sr., would always tell me, “Son, find a story and tell it well.”  I didn’t quite understand then, but I do today!  To steal one of the ancient slogans in advertising, “your brand is the truth about you, well told.”  This year many resolved to make lasting changes and become the best version of themselves.  I call it Version 2.0 – The me God wants me to be. 

In order to upgrade to Version 2.0, I encourage you to spend time pondering the following questions:

So Who Are You?

Like every organization, every person has a dozen good stories that reveal that person.  Stories move people. Stories excite people. Stories change people.  Your task is to write your story – the true story.  Ask for input from someone who knows you well; someone who can give you perspective.  Start there.  Get help, if necessary, but do it TODAY!

What Do You Do?

Most banks (Pre-Mortgage Crisis Meltdown) almost always ask this question of organizations that come to them for money.  It’s a simple question, but the answers often are not.  You must answer simply, too.  Otherwise you will confuse people.  If it sounds like you do many things, or too many seemingly unrelated things, people will assume you cannot do any of them well.  Here’s an assignment: Ask and answer “What do you do?”  Show it to four people whose opinion you value and ask them:

  1. Is it clear?
  2. Is it simple?

What Difference You Are Making?

Can you describe what difference you are making in three sentences or less?  Are you ready for this challenge?  Marketers often refer to the necessity of defining one’s “point of difference.”  You must not merely answer what makes you different, but how what you do makes a difference for others.  Ask and answer “What difference am I making?”  Show it to four people whose opinion you value and demand they be ruthlessly tough with their answers.

There are other questions, too; I doubt this list is exhaustive.  But I think I have covered the major ones.

Question: What other life-changing questions do you currently ask?

Mistakes Were Made: Greatest Mistake of Them All

by | Jan 23, 2012 | regular

1. KEEPING PEOPLE PAST THEIR EXPIRATION DATE.   

I’m what you call an eternal optimist.  My first instinct is to see the best in people and work to bring it out in the open.  I’ve sent people to conferences, personally mentored them, invested time and resources into their development only to be disappointed. 

Dismissing a person is never easy, sometimes it’s inevitable.  From experience, I’ve learned that the first person you fire is ALWAYS the most difficult.  Before I replace someone, I ask myself: “Does the person really need to be replaced?” 

A sharper focus can be gained by asking:

  1. Is the person’s ineffectiveness, poor leadership, or example blocking the progress of the ministry?
  2. How much harm is being done?
  3. What if the position goes vacant for a while (one of my favorite questions)?
  4. What standard am I using to measure job effectiveness?  Sometimes we measure people against impossible standards.  We must distinguish between someone who cannot do a job from someone who can but lacks the necessary skills.

The right people don’t need to be managed—they just need to be pointed in the right direction.  Jim Collins said, “If the person came to tell you that he or she is leaving to pursue an exciting new opportunity, would you feel terribly disappointed or secretly relieved?”  If you’d be relieved, it’s time for them to go.

Have you ever had to fire someone?

How was the experience?

Mistakes Were Made: My 2nd Mistake

by | Jan 20, 2012 | regular

2. PUTTING PROJECTS BEFORE PEOPLE. 

Ecclesiastes 7:18 says, “The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.”

This is one of those areas where we need to embrace the tension between relating with people and accomplishing the mission/getting the job done.  

Ask specifically: “Is there anything I can do for you?” 

You communicate how much you value someone by simply asking the question. Sometimes it’s nice to do something for another person without them asking or surprising them.  But if you’re not a good guesser and you don’t have psychic abilities, just ask.

Often, when I get home from work, I know there are two things I can say that will encourage my wife: 

1) I’d really like to hear about your day,

2) Is there anything I can do for you?

Have you made this mistake lately?

Mistakes Were Made: My 3rd Mistake

by | Jan 19, 2012 | regular

3. TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN THE PROCESS.  

A problem is an obstacle which makes it difficult to achieve a desired goal, objective or purpose.  Furthermore, it refers to a situation, condition, or issue that is yet unresolved.  In a broad sense, a problem exists when an individual becomes aware of a significant difference between what actually is and what is desired.

Although pastoring has many positives, problems run parallel on twin tracks.  Trying to fix the problem rather than the process is like continuing to change diapers instead of potty-training your children. 

May I offer you a piece of unsolicited advice:

You can either continue to react to the problem, or you can fix the process. Ninety percent of the time it’s a systems-problem rather than a people-problem.

What’s your problem-solving method?