I came across a Ted Talk by Derek Sivers a couple of years ago. I enjoy going back to “Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy” from time to time since, in just under three minutes, Sivers explains more about leadership than any management book I’ve read.

He points out that while a leader is certainly important, the first follower is even more important. The first follower shows everyone else that it’s okay to follow where the leader is trying to get everyone to go. This legitimizes the leader.

When I’ve shown this video to our employees, I ask whether they are first followers and point out how first followers can turn an idea into a powerful movement. Once you have a movement, just about anything is possible.

The best definition of a leader is “someone who gets people to go where they wouldn’t go by themselves,” and this video shows why a first follower is essential to that process. A leader shouldn’t just hope for first followers, however; the leader must find and develop first followers. Leadership is never a passive exercise.

Here’s the video: