What It Takes to Start a Movement

Three leadership traits that inspire

Moses Draws Water from the Rock by Francois Perrier, 1642 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)

“He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.” — Sun Tzu, 5th century BC

Moving people to action is more difficult than it seems.

Selling something tangible — a product, a widget, a thing — is fairly straightforward. People can see it in action, feel in their hands, and observe the difference it makes. You can craft a story around that and play a bit of show and tell.

But when you have to sell an idea or a vision? That takes more than getting people to pay attention.

You need to make them believe.

Belief is a powerful thing. If you can get someone to put faith in what you’re saying, such that they’ll turn away from what I call a pre-existing cognition, you’ll have won them over.

It’s what was required in the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and so many other uprisings when failure could have easily been proscribed. Instead, leaders marshaled their peo…