You know, “The reason it’s so hard to follow the leader…” is such a powerful insight. It flips the entire idea of leadership on its head, suggesting that true leaders aren’t just the fastest or strongest, but the ones brave enough to rewrite the rules first. It’s about narrative control, not just market share.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means that leadership is an act of narrative innovation. It’s not about perfecting the existing game; it’s about starting a whole new one that others then feel compelled to join.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. In any field, there’s a dominant story—the “way things are done.” The leader isn’t the person who executes that old story best. Nope. The leader is the one who sees its flaws, its limitations, and has the guts to tell a new, more compelling story. Think about it. The first company to say “computers should be beautiful objects in your home” (Apple) wasn’t following the “computers are beige office equipment” story. They changed it. And once that new story is out there, everyone else is instantly playing catch-up. They’re followers, reacting to a new reality they didn’t create. That lag, that disorientation, that’s why it’s so hard. You’re not just copying a product; you’re trying to adopt a brand new worldview, and that’s incredibly difficult. It’s a mental shift.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Skill (416) |
| Topics | change (101), innovation (32), leadership (111) |
| Literary Style | compact (12), witty (99) |
| Emotion / Mood | inspiring (392) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes straight from Seth Godin’s 2005 book, All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World. It’s a US publication, and it’s often misunderstood—he’s not talking about literal lying, but about the essential, authentic stories that frame our world. You won’t find this quote wrongly attributed to others; it’s pure Godin.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Seth Godin (100) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World (57) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Seth Godin writes and teaches about marketing, leadership, and creative work. After earning an MBA from Stanford, he founded Yoyodyne, sold it to Yahoo!, and later launched ventures like Squidoo and the altMBA. He has authored bestsellers such as Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, Linchpin, and This Is Marketing. He posts daily at seths.blog and speaks globally about making work that matters. If you’re starting with the Seth Godin book list, expect insights on trust, storytelling, and shipping creative projects that change culture.
| Official Website | Facebook | X
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | The reason it’s so hard to follow the leader is this: the leader is the one who changed the story first |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2005; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781591841009; Last edition: Portfolio Penguin 2012; Number of pages: 240. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 11: The Leader’s Story, page 108, 2012 edition |