In light of Wednesday’s post on “Get Sick” I would like to follow up today with another unconventional idea…”Throw a Brick!”
As I started to look a little closer at how riots start and how they evolve I was taken back by the remarkable social similarities between riots and revivals. Let’s take a look at how riots begin.
One person Has a Threshold of Zero
They require nobody else to encourage them to start throwing bricks. Spurred on by a social injustice or other issue they abandon their fear of consequences and become the catalyst for change.
Another Person Has a Threshold of One
They need someone else to get things kicked off. They need the person with the threshold of zero and are happy to join in if, and only if, someone else throws the first brick.
Another Person Has a Threshold of Two, Three, Four…
Different thresholds suggest different entry points for everyone. The person with a threshold of 900 will get involved after 899 others have already got on board. They will join in once they are the last one left.
Momentum builds as each person joins. While riots are seen as destructive what about revival? Is it possible that some of the same leadership principles are evident? Let’s look at the first four people in a riot from a leadership perspective while keeping an open mind about how a revival can start.
The Four Leaders of a Riot
First Person: Vision
- Risk Taker
- See’s The Possibilities
- Fed Up With Status Quo
- Get’s Things Started
Upside: Causes People to Rethink Their Current Position
Downside: This Person Has Everything To Loose
Question: Are You Ready To Be This Person?
Second Person: Verify
- Risk Taker
- Approves First Person Behavior
- Endorses New Direction
- Connects First Person To The Critical 3rd Person
Upside: Causes People To Doubt Their Current Position
Downside: This Person Has Something To Loose
Question: Who Is Your Second Person?
Third Person: Validate
- Condones Actions of First & Second Person
- Starts Crowd Mentality
- Shifts Thinking From Me to We
- Causes A Tipping Point
Upside: Causes People To Abandon Their Current Position
Downside: This Person Has Something To Loose
Question: Who Is Your Third Person?
See The Post on The Rule of Three For More Insight on This Important Number
Fourth Person: Viral
- No Risk
- Crowd Mentality
- Collectively Resilient
- Shared Identity
Upside: Causes People To Support A New Position
Downside: These People Have Nothing To Loose
Question: What Needs to Be Revived In Your Ministry?
Final Thought:
People in a crowd develop a shared social identity based on their common experience. What can we do as leaders as the first person to facilitate a riot (or revival) to help others and to make a difference in the world?
Question: In your mind, how close is a riot to a revival?