The importance of finding your first follower as a leader

Take it from me, life as a new leader can be hard. Rewarding, but hard. You usually have to bring in quick results. Which means you need to make some changes to business as usual. And, to help you to make necessary changes you need to rally the troops.

But, it doesn’t have to feel like an all-out battle (can you tell I was in the Army Reserves?).?

And you don’t need to kickstart organisation-wide culture change.?

You just need to understand how important it is to be an easy leader to follow.?

If you haven’t seen it before, the Leadership Lessons from a Dancing Guy video is one of my favourite videos about leadership and how to start a movement. And, it inspired my approach as I became a new leader at ClickSend, which I’ll talk about below.

Why is a follower the key to leading?

In my opinion, one of the most important things a new leader needs is their first follower.?

Leadership is really about influence and inspiring others to follow a vision. Whether you're spearheading a major change or proposing a small team project, securing that initial advocate is key.?

It might seem like a simple act, but having someone who passionately supports your ideas from the get-go sets the tone for the entire team. It sends a clear message to others that it's not only acceptable but encouraged to jump on board with a new concept or initiative.

As said by Derek Sivers in the above video, “The first follower turns a lone-nut into a leader. If the leader is the flint, the first follower is the spark that makes the fire”.?

Since nobody wants to be a lone nut, how do you find your first follower?

A smart leader is always prepared for followers

In my world of SaaS products and start ups, new ideas are the lifeblood of a company as it scales. And these ideas are usually thick, fast and need to be actioned, yesterday.?

As a leader in the tech space, it’s important to get quick buy-in on ideas so you can keep growing the business. I often use a first follower approach when pitching new ideas to my teams.?

Before I enter a meeting room to present a new idea—whether it’s a big change or a small one—I already know who my first follower will likely be. Because if you’re not sure how to get the first advocate over the line then your idea might fail to launch.?

I like to think about who is attending the meeting and consider who will be the mostly likely supporter. I craft my presentation or pitch in a way that will appeal to likely advocates — while still making sure the rest of the team are supported to get behind the idea too. Then, I give my first follower the time, space, or forum to endorse the idea. You can do this by creating an environment that encourages open dialogue and collaboration. This could involve holding brainstorming sessions, open forums, or even an informal lunch with key people. You can make it fun, sharing a new idea or starting to move in a new direction is an exciting time.

You have your first? follower — so now what?

Well, what’s? fascinating is that once that first person says 'yes,' the domino effect begins. Others begin to see the merit in your idea and feel more confident about expressing their support. The fear of being the lone supporter diminishes and people are more willing to align themselves with the leader and the first follower — especially as support gathers momentum.?

If you’re making a large change that might ruffle a few feathers, you can lean on your first follower. You can ask your first follower to make the official announcement of an upcoming change. This not only empowers them but also demonstrates a shared leadership to the rest of the team.?

In my own experience, I’m reminded of the role my Head of Marketing, Mark, played as the first follower when I finalised and shared ClickSend’s new annual strategy.

?It was the first time we had reset our goals since the previous CEO had left, and it was critical that I aligned the leadership team on the new journey. While our leaders were part of the process, I knew that if Mark was on board with the final version, it would be easy to bring the rest of the team along too. His enthusiastic support served as the catalyst that ignited broad company wide engagement with our big goals and strategy to reach them.

Start using first-follower leadership

Leadership isn't just about calling the shots. It’s about creating a culture of collaboration and innovation. So, embrace the power of the first follower, and watch as your team feels more comfortable with change and new ideas. After all, every great leader needs an equally great sidekick. Just look at Captain Kirk and Spock.