The New Crop: Issue #33
baby laughs + how to start a movement + the antidote to too many meetings
What’s in this issue:
💭 Thought: “How to Start a Movement”
😆 Today’s Laugh
💭 Today’s Thought
Back in 2010, Derek Sivers put together one of my favorite overviews of the multi-faceted nature of leadership in his TED Talk titled “How to Start a Movement”.
He did it in under 3 minutes, and based his teaching entirely off of a video of people dancing at a concert.
A few of his key points:
Being a leader out in front — being the first to do, share, or create something — is a courageous act. It’s also what we typically think good leadership needs to look like.
If you are a leader out in front, it’s vital to “nurture your first few followers as equals” as you create something new. That way, it’s no longer about you, but about the movement/cause/purpose/etc.
We typically don’t consider following to be an act of leadership, but it most certainly is. Sivers affirms that “great leaders have the courage to follow and show others how to follow.”
The full video is well worth a watch — gift yourself three minutes to check it out.
What stands out to you in the video? What are you taking away from it?
🖊️ Today’s reflection
If you’re new to journaling, I highly encourage you to read Nancy Adler’s article: Want to be an outstanding leader? Keep a journal.
This week, find a quiet place and gift yourself 10 minutes to reflect on any of these prompts (or invent your own!):
In what environments or scenarios do you tend to lead out in front (i.e. be the “dancing shirtless guy” from the video)? In what environments or scenarios do you tend to lead from behind, following and supporting others (i.e. the “first follower”)?
What (if anything) feels challenging about either of these two forms of leadership?
What is it to follow? / What does effective following look like?
📚 Today’s Read
Too Many Meetings is Not Your Problem
Meetings and synchronous dialogue hold so much potential; they allow us to tap into the collective wisdom of a group to create something we couldn’t have on our own. Unfortunately, meetings regularly fall short of this potential, and so many leaders find their schedules completely overrun with them. In this article, Judd Antin talks about how too many meetings is a symptom of deeper organizational mindsets and processes, and offers thoughts on what you can do to break from it. Click here to read more.
See you next week!
xo,
Anne