Leading Through Transformation - Movement

In his famous book Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell explored the "the critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point" of social movements. Written in 2000, this book sparked my interest in the influences, variables, and forces, that drive change in groups. Gladwell explores (1) the critical importance of a few, key individuals, (2) the stickiness of the idea being transmitted, and (3) the power of environment. That last one should sound familiar

As transformation leaders, this is our charge. To create a movement bigger than ourselves. One that sustains from the power of its members. But how? Shifting a belief in one person is difficult enough.

In 1962, E.M. Rogers defined the Law of Diffusion of Innovation. The law states that if we can shift approximately 20% of a population toward an objective, we increase our chances of creating a self-sustaining movement.

Another proxy can be found in the world of microbial biology. To shift a bacterial or viral population, we must insert enough new agents (relative to the entire population) and they must be close enough together to replicate and not be overwhelmed by the majority.

This is where companies desiring transformation often fail. One, there aren't enough influential leaders (or coaches) relative to the total population. Two, they are too disparate and such have difficulty successfully bringing more believers into the fold.

The job of a transformation leader is to put the right people, in the right places, at the right time, and for enough time, such that the movement takes form. This isn't just about designing the process, or the roadmap.

It's about shifting beliefs in people and letting them do the rest.