Circulation

Leadership: The First Follower

This video is from a presentation given at the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) National Conference a few weeks ago by several folks, including a fellow Oregon State University colleague, Eric Stoller. While the overall presentation was about using social media in student affairs, I found their video on leadership ingenious! Take a look and listen to the narration:

- via Student Affairs Collaborative:

I love how the video gives props to the “first follower.” While it is important for a leader to take the first step, push limits and set an example — the first follower is a central piece of the leadership puzzle. The first follower is the person who helps start the momentum in creating a movement. Without the first follower, the rest of the crew might not join the cause.

As consistent concert attender through the years, I have witnessed many brave souls who let the music take them over while they dance to their heart’s content. (Some may argue a controlled substance spurred them to dance like that, but that’s besides the point). It almost never fails — one fearless person joins in on the dancing, becoming the first follower, who then starts a movement as others join in.

What a wonderful example of this concept!

[ps--It appears dancing dude is at The Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington, which is an awesome venue to see a concert btw!]

Tags: followers, following, leaders, leadership, student affairs, video