I love this video on Youtube on Starting a Movement.  It’s so simple, and inspiring.  And it really encapsulates my journey over the last year as I’ve been writing my book, “Cheaper Than Therapy”.  So I’ve left the original commentary, and added my thoughts in Italics next to them…  The video is attached, it’s really worth a watch.

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!

I’ve certainly done a bit of standing alone, and perhaps some looking ridiculous too (just flick through my FB photos, and you’ll probably agree…)  I find it easier if I picture an exact person who I’m writing to, whenever I sit down to write.  In my mind’s eye, I’ve been writing my latest book to a girl in her mid twenties.  She’s perhaps mixed race, had a kid in her teens, and isn’t exactly well off nor educated.  So I’ve written it as entertaining, simple and easy to follow as possible, so she applies it, and then shares it.  

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.

I have a couple of followers now – people who have done the course, someone I’m training up to run it (love ya Rahil), a friend doing all of the video and editing, and various other supporters, pray-ers, and of course, my wonderful girlfriend .  So I guess I’m past the one person mark in starting a movement!  YEEEHAAA!

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.

This is really the stage we’re in right now with launching the “Cheaper Than Therapy” movement.  I’m still a bit nutty, just not alone  Three is a crowd, but I won’t be holding my breath until we make headline news.  It may be a few weeks just yet.

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!

Ah, the “Tipping Point”.  I do love Malcolm Gladwell’s book by the same name.  It truly is brilliant.  I don’t think we’re here yet.  There are one or two people around the country running a course based on the book (I’ll shortly be releasing a free manual on the subject on this website).  Once we start getting news that people are doing it in random places from other parts of the UK, we’ll be approaching the tipping point. 

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.

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.

So here is the big lesson, and one which I hope you really take away from this article.  I hope you choose to join the “lone nut” (me), as we try to make a difference in this world.  It’s really easy.  All you need is a book, and one other person keen to work through their emotional hurts.  It goes on sale tonight for 99 cents (usually $6.99).  I’d love it if you were to buy one for yourself, and gift it to some of your friends who might benefit from it – and join me in this crazy dance party of a journey of teaching the world how to forgive.

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