The Transformation of the Leader

"The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader" - Derek Sivers
(reference url: http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html)

Watch the link above. In the three short minutes, you'll see transformational leadership applied and an entire systemic come into being. Derek entitled the talk "How to Start a Movement" and commenced with the bold claim that a movement would be started and unfold in just three short minutes. He delivers.

Derek successfully articulated something here that I had been trying to understand for ages: the transformation of the leader during transformational leadership. The mental shift of the leader accepting and mentoring the first follower is a key idea. In the video, the follower then goes out an works with the additional followers. Watching closely, you can see that the third and subsequent followers are closer to this first follower-leader than the original leader.

Of course, we imprint the leadership discussion onto what is externally people dancing in a field. But if we assume the original leader's vision was a dancing crowd, then the development of the follower-leader is the critical transformation leadership activity. Indeed, keeping transactional control over all the members of the dance would likely have been very counter-productive to achieving the vision of a dancing crowd.

Individual homework assignment: figure out if your leadership is contributing to developing the essential follower-leaders needed to achieve your vision. Read More......