Have you seen the “Dancing Guy” video making its way around the Internet?
As you’ll see below, it shows one person performing a bizarre dance at an outdoor concert. Initially, he’s just out there all by himself and he looks odd and out of place. But then, one person joins him. Before long, that first person’s willingness to join in draws a second person, then a third. And in a matter of minutes, what was once a lone dancer becomes dozens.
Social movements can be powerful forces for change in a community. They pull like-minded people together and channel a group’s energies toward a common purpose. You’d think the most important person to getting a movement underway would be the leader, but not necessarily.
Leaders play a vital role in getting a movement off and running. They’re visionaries. They think big and see beyond “what is” to “all that could be.” But a leader standing tall and strong all by himself doesn’t constitute a movement. It takes followers. In fact, according to one study of the subject, the most crucial element to getting a movement rolling is not the leader, it’s the first person to follow!
You don’t have to start a movement to change your community. Just join one. Find an organization already effecting change where you live, then get on board. It may take a leader to create a group’s vision, but it takes followers to bring those ideas to life.
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