There’s a whole lot of stuff bouncing around in there, right?
I like Ted Talks from time to time. When I think about them, I’ll watch one and learn something—always.
They stretch the imagination; allow us to see the world through a different pair of eyes. Sometimes, I’ve even had an “aha” or light bulb over the head kind of moment. I know some of them can get longwinded, but the one below isn’t. It’s about three minutes and kind of entertaining.
There’s going to be a Ted Talks event next month where I am and we plan on going. All that thinking and positive mojo, well I’d like to soak some of that up.
It can be lonely at the top. All that leading.
This short video below is about leaders and followers. Which is more important? Are they equally important?
It takes cojones to be a leader but it also takes courage to be that first person to follow that leader. Sometimes we want to lead and sometimes we want to follow.
And then sometimes we just wanna to do this. Press it.
I know I’m all over the place.
After watching, ask yourself: Am I a lone nut (leader) or am I a follower?
Maybe we’re all a little bit of both, depending on the situation. Whatever the case, if we decide to begin—we can start a movement, however large or small, that can have an enormous ripple effect.
Which one would you be in the scenario below?
Enjoy and how’s your Thursday?
(P.S. The video is really only three minutes..I don’t know how to cut the commercial off that follows it.)
photo creds: Imagination
Brigitte's Banter 
I’m a great follower if I believe in the leader – I’m a great leader if I have the right motivation/passion/knowledge, etc. I think you’re right – it depends on the situation! I’m going to watch the video now.
Posted by Arlene | February 13, 2014, 2:32 pmHey Arlene, great to see you! Thats perfectI think most of us are like that, though I do consider myself a lone nut at times. Thank you!
Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 3:53 pmI’m not much of a follower, but on the other hand, I’m a rather reluctant leader, too. But I know when to step up to the plate for both when I need to. 🙂
Posted by Carrie Rubin | February 13, 2014, 3:04 pmI guess Im kind of the same. I enjoy solitary exercise instead of team-related sport things. I like people but enjoy solitude as well. I guess when Im forced to lead I will. Thanks Carrie and your book is really great. Im reading it.
Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 3:54 pmAw, thank YOU, Brigitte. Hope you continue to enjoy it!
Posted by Carrie Rubin | February 13, 2014, 3:59 pm“You’re just a lone nut until you get that first follower.” Ha ha, that makes perfect sense. 🙂
Posted by Jennifer's Journal | February 13, 2014, 3:08 pmGreat way to look at it, huh? Thing of all the inventions that people have been the first or a leader and how some of them were mocked. A thing that flew and carried people in the sky? No way. Thanks, Jennifer.
Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 3:55 pmBrilliant Ted Talk! I’ve enjoyed most everything I’ve seen on Ted Talks. I’m doing both, I think… leading and following. Right now, I’m following YOU, you nut!
And is it Thursday already???? Yikes!!!
Posted by Sue J | February 13, 2014, 3:34 pmHey woman! How the heck are you??!! I am a nut but so are you. Least were in good company, eh? I like them too. Brene Brown has some good ones on TED. Thanks Sue and so glad to see you around again.
Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 3:56 pmThanks, Brig. It’s good to be back. 🙂
Posted by Sue J | February 13, 2014, 4:42 pmNeither would load. I feel rejected. I’ve led and I’ve followed, and both served me well at the time. Usually, thought, I’m not a lemming–and, when I become part of a project, I end up leading the group…especially when we had to set up Bingo for the school–to become Bingo Goddess. There’s a job NO one wanted. I wonder if there is a Ted talk for that subject?
Posted by Addie | February 13, 2014, 6:00 pmWell that’s a bummer. Wonder why, it’s loading for me. Bingo Goddess? Well there SHOULD be a TED talks for that Addie! I’ll start: G 53, which according to a Bingo lingo website can also be referred to as STUCK IN A TREE. Now you go.
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Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 6:21 pmI feel like I tend to be more of a follower, especially in a situation where I’m not feeling very confident. But when I’m by myself, I never have much trouble getting myself to do something new!
Posted by Rhiannon Nee-Salvador | February 13, 2014, 6:04 pmHi Rhi, nice to see you! Sounds as if you have some take charge traits which are certainly ones a leader posesses. Doing something new or outside your comfort zone always has a nice ripple effect, don’t you think? 😉
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Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 6:24 pmI would follow you anywhere so you would not be the lone nut
Posted by on thehomefrontandbeyond | February 13, 2014, 7:22 pmRight back at you my fellow lone nut.
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Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 7:23 pm🙂
Posted by on thehomefrontandbeyond | February 13, 2014, 7:24 pmI wouldn’t be sitting on a hill in a crowd of people 🙂 and there would be no way in hell I’d ever get up and dance. I’d be the lone hold out. Ha! Not sure what that makes me. ( stubborn)
Interesting and thoughtful video. It really is the second guy that gets it all going.
Happy Thursday friend.
Posted by unfetteredbs | February 13, 2014, 7:32 pmWhen I was younger I would have been the lone nut. And you’re sitting it out means you’re reserved. You know, like Grace Kelly. And yeah the second guy makes that first guy look less crazy.
Don’t people look weird dancing when there’s no music? I’ve always thought so. Thanks, Audra. Hope your day brightened and the cobwebs cleared. Stay warm, you.
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Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 8:16 pmUnfortunately, I cannot watch the video because my computer sux and won’t download some flash player thingy! Ugh! But I think I’m a little of both. 🙂 Oh reading the comment above I know exactly the video you’re talking about and I can be either one!
Diana xo
Posted by dianasschwenk | February 13, 2014, 8:19 pmWell at least youve seen the video! You strike me as a leader, D. Thanks and hope your week is going great.
Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 9:22 pmIt is, I hope yours is going great as well Brigitte!
Posted by dianasschwenk | February 14, 2014, 8:30 amBrilliant! So happy you shared this!
Posted by michelleatplay | February 13, 2014, 8:30 pmHey Michelle, hows it going? Great to see you and glad you enjoyed. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Brigitte | February 13, 2014, 9:22 pmI am definitely not a follower, but if I’m a leader, Brig, it’s a reluctant one because I generally do not like to get involved. I know I do things that inspire my friends. Those things include not making a spectacle of myself shirtless.
Posted by lameadventures | February 13, 2014, 9:42 pmAnd I did watch the video. I appreciate the fact that it was short. I skipped the commercial or infomercial; whatever that thing was.
Posted by lameadventures | February 13, 2014, 9:43 pmThanks, V. I dont know what it was but I couldnt get it off there and I got tired of trying to put the short one on there without a commercial. WordPress instructions said it was oh so simple. But obviously that didnt apply to me and my thought processes.
And for whatever bizarre reason theres weird little symbol things appearing in my responses to people when I do so on my laptop. Grrr.
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 11:09 amWhen I’m writing a comment on my iPhone and I receive a comment, the comment I’m writing enters the ether. Maybe the WordPress “Happiness Engineers” can do something about that.
Posted by lameadventures | February 14, 2014, 1:47 pmYeah, I’m trying to get through to them to find out why. It’s throwing up question marks instead of apostrophes. Geez. Or Jeez.
See?
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 2:08 pmReading your response on the PC here at The Grind, all your punctuation looks fine.
Posted by lameadventures | February 14, 2014, 2:10 pmIt appears that it’s stopped now. Why? What does it do it sometimes and sometimes not? Me no likey.
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 2:13 pmLife is a relentless test, Brig. Then you die. My flash-style TED talk.
Posted by lameadventures | February 14, 2014, 3:12 pmMarch to the beat of your own drum huh? Many have stated being a reluctant leader, I guess we all are to a point. Usually its something we really believe in is when we become leaders. Oh cmon, when you were 20, youd go shirtless (with a bathing suit top on) to dance around, wouldnt you? I would. I did. Ha!
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 11:07 amAn unequivocal no here, Brig. In fact, more like an emphatic, “Hell no!” I can’t even swim. I’m so water-averse I wear swim fins in the shower for safety’s sake.
Posted by lameadventures | February 14, 2014, 1:45 pmWell I hope your nose and ear plugs match those swim fins at least. Important to be stylish especially in Manhattan, V.
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 2:07 pmA friend and I were discussing the same topic recently (I love when we have these like-minded brainwaves!) and she was saying how our society (especially Western society) puts such an emphasis on being a leader and as a result, not enough people know how to be a follower. I guess I’m what you’d call a reluctant leader at times and I can be a reluctant follower too. Mass movements tend to make me suspicious (think the hype that often follows something in our media-saturated culture) so I always try to evaluate something based on its own merit rather than just blindly following along. If you’re a lone nut well that makes two of us. 😉
Posted by lillianccc | February 14, 2014, 4:01 amI think were just likeminded, Lillian. Not everyone can be a leaderthats obvious. Think of all the successful men throughout history and how their wives who really had no choice but to follow were really the impetus or the brains behind a movement or an intervention. I do not follow social trends or anything that resembles a mob mentality. That scares me. But some playful dancing for this guy to make a pointwell, its all good. Silly is good too. Its what all us lone nuts do from time to time, right? 😀
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 11:12 amI love this TedTalk – I tend to be either 2nd, 1st, or 3rd…. I can lead if no one else is willing but I prefer to be a supporting actor (where the 2nd and/or 3rd comes in). I think it’s absolutely necessary to have all different kinds of players in a movement – like he said, we can’t all lead ~
Posted by Rutabaga the Mercenary Researcher | February 14, 2014, 8:08 amHey Ruta. It seems most of us here are reluctant leaders! Glad you enjoyed the video. Some not too heavy lessons are good for soul every once in awhile, I think! Thank you.
Posted by Brigitte | February 14, 2014, 11:13 amI’m so immature. I couldn’t help but snicker when he started the video talking about, “how to make a movement.” And followed with, “it takes guts.”
I have never heard of Ted Talks, and I really liked this. I’ll definitely be looking for more. I tend to be the person on the outskirts – neither leading nor following – usually clueless that anything is happening until it’s old news. But then . . . didn’t I just prove that by admitting I’ve never heard of Ted Talks? 😉
Posted by Noted in Nashville | February 15, 2014, 1:06 pmHa! I never would have thought of that! Sometimes theres some pretty cool stuff on there. Some are way too long but normally you can find something thats at least worth three minutes. Brene Brown has some pretty cool ones on there. Im not one to watch things for long periods of time on the internet but I can do about 3-5 minutes. Thanks Anita!
Posted by Brigitte | February 15, 2014, 4:16 pmI follow only if someone is leading where I want to go, Bridgette. 🙂 –Curt
Posted by Curt Mekemson | February 15, 2014, 3:08 pmI hear you, Curt. Thanks and have a good weekend!
Posted by Brigitte | February 15, 2014, 4:24 pmIf the situation calls for it, I can lead. Likewise, I can follow. Often times, though, I’d really like to stay in the same spot. 😉
Posted by jmmcdowell | February 17, 2014, 1:14 pmYou know, JM that staying in the same spot sounds pretty freaking good to me now. At least this year. 😀
Posted by Brigitte | February 17, 2014, 1:33 pmLeader…follower…I think they’re flip sides of the same coin, Brigitte. I kind of like to go my own way. Maybe that’s a different coin? xoxoM
Posted by Margarita | February 18, 2014, 7:28 pmHey Margarita-great to see you around here! I agree with you, but then again you always have a way of looking at things logically beautiful. You ARE a different coin and thats a good thing. xo
Posted by Brigitte | February 18, 2014, 7:46 pm