First Follower is an underrated form of leadership (the wave theory)
Show me the Change
Complexity and the Art of Evaluation – Reporting Sheet
Topic: First Follower is an underrated form of leadership (the wave theory)
Leader: Liz Franzmann
Participants: (It ebbed and flowed – quite a few bumblebees!)
Key Points:
• The workshop was about exploring “lessons from the Dancing Guy” (Derek Sivers – YouTube) and the wave theory (AKA diffusion of innovation). I opened discussion with 2 examples – sustainable events work and designing a pilot shopping centre sustainability project; and how I was trying to use the theory with these initiatives.
• Key questions to the group:
1. What occurs to you on watching the Derek Sivers YouTube clip?
2. What does this theory raise for you re monitoring and evaluation?
• Key points from discussion:
• Need to understand what motivates the first followers (and the nuts)
• Government could create spaces and places that foster the “nuts” and the “first followers”
• The first followers – makes an action simple, easy and public
• If you want to work with the first followers (as a change aspect) you need to create apps for them to find you
• What happens if your champions (your nut/first follower) doesn’t want to go public? Need to understand why and evaluate this
• The discussion turned to suggestions for government change programs to support the first followers and nuts
- create standards
- networking spaces
- recognition programs
- peer reviewing from industry
- “on the job” training programs
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