First Followers

I learned a new term just a few days ago:  first followers.  A fantastic leader and very good friend I work with sent me a link to watch.  She promised me that if I didn’t dismiss the video in the first few seconds, there would be an important message in it for me.  Of course, she knows I’m a “change junkie” and I would have to trust that her instincts were right about this video. 

I watched the video and wondered if the concept of “first follower” it introduces was just a disguise for the term “early adopter” frequently used in change theory.  But in looking up “early adopters” and “first followers” in the change literature, I found it was not possible to compare the two as easily as I expected. 

There’s a lot written on “early adopters” and how they are the first consumers of new technology: 

This is the second fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. These individuals have the highest degree of opinion leadership among the other adopter categories. Early adopters are typically younger in age, have a higher social status, have more financial lucidity, advanced education, and are more socially forward than late adopters. More discrete in adoption choices than innovators. Realize judicious choice of adoption will help them maintain central communication position (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 283).

But, I couldn’t find much on “first followers”. I realized I had to go back to the source. 

I watched the video again this weekend and found that the video moderator zeroed in on a few very important distinctions, with the first one being the impact the “first follower” has on the leader.  As the story is told, the leader doesn’t stand out by himself (see the video) – in fact, to me, he looks like he might be under the influence but the video moderator says that he looks like “a nut”.  The first follower is really the spark that draws special attention to what the leader is trying to accomplish.  A key learning at this point is that the leader should treat his/her first followers as equals, because alone, the leader is just a “nut”. Recognizing and nurturing your “first follower” is really important.  In fact, the video story says that leadership during change is over-glorified – the real leadership comes from the “first follower(s)” because the main role “first followers” play is teaching others how to follow. 

In our organizations, leaders are continually under pressure to lead change.  In fact, many are assessed and evaluated by their competency to lead and execute change.  Often, a poor change process reflects badly for the leader.  For those of you who may have struggled with the change challenge, try finding your “first followers” and elevate them to a visible level so they can demonstrate how to follow your change to others.  By leveling the hierarchy between the leader or innovator and the first followers, you’ll be comforted to know you aren’t alone.  Sometimes leading change feels like a job for the lone Ranger, but with one or two “first followers” nearby, you don’t have to be alone.  And that, my friends, is a very nice feeling. 

Watch the video now, and see if it changes your ideas on leading change.