The First Follower: Transforming a Lone Nut into a Leader

10/4/2012

Kate Raven, Communications Manager

What do an erratic dancer, a man in a green shirt, and a music festival have to teach us about starting a movement? As Principal Hardy pointed out at assembly on October 3, lots.

Take a few minutes to watch the video below, and pay special attention to the aforementioned green-shirted man:

Many movements throughout history have started with one person, but they also needed a first follower – someone who publicly showed everyone how to follow. Without the first follower and the momentum they produce, a movement can’t happen.

So how does this apply at Greenwood?

“Human behaviour suggests it is easy to follow once a group of people initiate something,” Principal Hardy said. “Sometimes the things that are started are good, but sometimes they’re hurtful, like anonymous posts on Facebook. In those cases, the first follower has an important decision to make: do you ignore it, do you speak out, or do you jump in and follow?

“When you’re asked to follow, ask yourself: is this the right thing to do? Making the right choice, especially when it’s difficult to do, is at the very heart of what we call moral character at Greenwood. And always remember that choosing the right thing makes each of us, and our community, better.”

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Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811

We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and as settlers, we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.