Movements with a mission can change social norms, make markets and flip systems
Lessons from Charlie Leadbeater
“The things that really bring change in society are movements with missions. We have to understand when they bring real change; when they’re not just a hashtag or a fashion accessory or dreamed up by a marketing company.”
“WHEN DO MOVEMENTS BRING ABOUT CHANGE? HOW DO THEY CHANGE SOCIAL NORMS? HOW DO THEY CHANGE MARKETS? HOW DO THEY CHANGE PUBLIC SYSTEMS?
”
Charlie's speech at Istanbul Wayfinder was on movements. He has kindly shared an outline of his book with SIX and the Wayfinder community. To share your feedback and comments, please email info@socialinnovationexchange.org
Please CLICK HERE TO READ THE OUtline of his latest book, ThE RISING
You can download Charlie's presentation from the Wayfinder here and watch his talk here.
8 rules for successful movements
Frame the narrative in a way that moves people – don’t let others do it for you and be prepared to adapt
Find ‘prophets in wilderness’ – the people who live the ideas that go against the mainstream
Build places for the faithful to gather
Give people tools to enact change
Share ownership through a fluid hierarchy that distributes leadership
Engage the enemy so as to win them over
Shift from opposition to proposition
Know your routes to impact: change social norms, make markets, and shift systems
“The real test for movements is not how many of the faithful you gather, but how many converts you make.
How very small things can have a very big impact is a combination of meaning & money. The currency of movements is meaning. For the small to become big, you need a movement, but for the movement to be meaningful, the small needs to contain the big.
My recommendation to you and to the field of social innovation is think like a movement, adopt this lens in your work.”