Some Love for the First Followers
Leadership is often glamorized. Rightfully so, we fall in love with the bravery, courage and charisma of those who are willing to be bold and charge into the unknown. Leaders get credit and recognition when things go right and on the flip side, they are the first to be criticized when things go wrong. With all of the attention on the leader, it can leave their followers in the shadows. But without followers, leaders have little to show for their efforts.
I stumbled on this 3 minute video a few years ago and it made me chuckle for a number of reasons. If you can get past the shaky videography (literally), I think you’ll find it entertaining, clever and a fantastic narrative and visual of leadership in action. It depicts the dynamic of how the efforts of one person grow exponentially as more and more people join in.
As we launch into 2022, I shared it with my team as a reminder of the importance of the people who follow us. How one or two people that get on board can truly shift the momentum and create a movement. As leaders, we have a responsibility to nurture those relationships, so that movement turns into something that is the sum of the parts, bigger than any individual. It becomes something that everyone can take pride in and feel that they are part of.
As you look at your leadership journey, I hope today’s message inspires you to take a moment and give some love to your followers (Not your social media followers). The “first followers” who believed in you and your vision before anyone else. I assume they have played a critical role in your success as a leader and maybe not always gotten the recognition they deserve. Today is a great day to let them know just how important they are and the how much you value their contributions along the way. Because without those awesome people, we would all just be “lone nuts.”