What is a first follower

No I'm not talking about your first follower on Facebook or Twitter. As a leader do you understand the importance and role of a first follower.

What is the difference between a leader and an eccentric?

If you are a leader the most important person to help get action in a group of people is the first follower. Consider the situation. You're at a play and at the end you feel like it was a great play. So you stand up and applaud. Are you a leader yet? No, you're just a single person standing and clapping. Anybody can go off half cocked and do something different than the norm.

Now the other people in the room aren't so sure it was a great play. They are a little nervous and anxious because it's getting awkward that only this one weirdo is clapping. Then all of a sudden another person stands up and claps... the first follower. Now the ice has been broken it is okay for others to clap and a wave of standing applause erupts. As humans we look to each other for validation and permission of our actions. If nobody else is doing something we're hesitant to do it. As a leader you may have a conviction, but if nobody else has that conviction how do you get people to follow you? Get a first follower. When people see somebody else doing it, they will follow.

After first followers come early adopters and then the multitudes.