Lakeside School

The following is an excerpt of a speech delivered at the 8th grade graduation ceremony, attended by 8th graders, their families, and educators.

.... Let’s see, my speech is not going to be too long, I just have 6 or 7 points I would like to make. I am only joking!

But every year there seems to be one ongoing trend that a particular class seems to carry throughout their year. This year, for many of us who spent a lot of time around you, that trend has been the “6-7” phrase. It was really hard to escape it throughout the year. As teachers, we walked straight into it, when we unintentionally uttered the two words in conjunction and the whole class would erupt in “6-7.” And while it is not as much of a consistent presence now, you still catch remnants of it when some of you look up, move your hands to signal 6-7 and see if your eye can catch anyone else’s.

For those of you who don’t know (and PLEASE do tell how you managed to preserve yourself from this trend)! This trend is traced back to the song Doot Doot by the rapper, Skrilla. To be honest, I'm still not completely sure I understand it, however, I have been more fascinated and curious to learn the sticky factor of this particular movement and why did this one become a global sensation?!!

People say it doesn’t mean anything but I disagree. It meant something for a majority of your generation and it became a symbol of ‘the in crowd’. To say the least, it gave you permission to collectively cringe when the adults try to engage in your ‘vibe’ by saying it. But why didn’t 41 gain traction? What about 37? What was it about the 6-7 trend? What can we learn about increasing our influence within our community, strengthening community culture and creating maximum impact on values, rather than trends?

To answer this question, let’s look at an idea in leadership that can sometimes be overlooked. At Lakeside, you learned about leadership. For example, you learned that a leader is someone who has a vision for their people, someone who creates an impact and advocates for causes, and someone who helps people achieve something together. You did a lot of that in HD. You were challenged to put yourselves out there and find ways to be leaders within our community. And while we hope that you hold all these lessons true for yourself, I want to offer one additional role that I hope you would consider. The role of the first follower. Let me tell you about the theory of the first follower. This is not my theory nor did I come up with it, but as I think about your class and how strong your leadership is, I wanted to challenge you to take a look at what impact could look like within a community.

[Author] Derek Sivers introduced the idea in a TED talk by showing a video of the dancing guy. The video shows people picnicking in what seems like a public park. The camera focuses on one person who is dancing their heart out. This dancing goes on for a bit longer but then at one point this other person joins the first dancer and the two of them start dancing together. In a few seconds after that, the first follower waves over to his friends and people start joining until a crowd builds up and creates a movement. The theory of the first follower basically says that the success of the leader who began the movement was dependent on the first follower who got up to dance and then encouraged others to join. The first follower is the person who truly gives legitimacy to the cause. It’s the person who is the first to adopt the idea, who chooses to trust in this vision, in this movement, and because of their engagement others join the movement. It also shows that the first follower is the one who transformed the “one random person dancing” into a leader. So then, in a world where the emphasis is on being leaders, what does it take to be the first follower?

In my opinion, it takes three things.

First you have to notice. Noticing means being aware, being curious. Noticing means actually physically looking and taking it all in. What is taking your attention? When you are part of a conversation, how are you listening? Right now, as you are in this room, where are your thoughts going? What is competing for your attention and what is stealing, and dare I say, monetizing your attention? What is taking away opportunities from you to decide how you want to notice and what you want to notice? Are you driving your ability to notice, or are you just receiving what is given to you?

Second, you have to choose to engage. The first follower had to get up and physically do the work. It wasn’t just a passing moment, there was a commitment to what was offered. There were many opportunities for the first follower to change their mind. But this person walked intentionally across the lawn, joined the person and started dancing too. These steps were all intentional; I can’t tell you what was in their head as they thought about why they chose to engage. I can’t make assumptions on what values they based their decision-making on, but I can tell you that without being forced, without needing any coaxing, they made their own critical choice to engage. How many times are you afforded a chance to make decisions by yourself and for yourself without additional outside pressures? In your life you have many influences, your choices and decisions, have to reflect what you value not what the world tells you to value. So when you do the first step of noticing, how are you making decisions to engage or not? Who do you consult with? And when the choice is actually yours — is your decision intentional?

Third, you have to commit and believe in the importance of your role to influence others in growing the movement. Derek Sivers in his video explains that the leader had to treat the follower as their equal and show collaboration. The person dancing (the first person) the leader actually turned and started dancing with the first follower. However, I would go further to say, the reason the movement continued was because the first follower took that respect that he received from the leader and made it central in his interactions with others. It became foundational to how that first follower chose to engage with others. In the video the first follower calls out to his friends and waves them over to join. When they do, he continues dancing (that’s the commitment part) and when others join, he pays attention to them and dances with them as equals (that’s the respect part).

At Lakeside, we have tried to help you develop more than academic skills. Skills that are important for leadership but more importantly leadership that strengthens our community.

You've practiced empathy.

You've learned to listen.

You've learned to work through disagreement.

You've learned that every person deserves dignity and respect.

Those values aren't school jargon. They’re not just words. They are embedded in our mission and vision for our school because the leaders our world needs today are not simply the loudest voices. They are the people who notice who isn't being heard. They are the people who make room at the table. They are the people who use their influence to lift others up.

As you move through high school and life, you will encounter moments when someone needs support, perhaps someone who needs a first follower. Moments when inclusion requires action. Moments when kindness is less convenient but absolutely necessary. Moments when speaking up feels uncomfortable. Those are the moments that define culture within a community.

This 6-7 movement did not become viral because of Skrilla’s song, it became viral because of its own first followers, the association with LaMelo Ball and the video that TK “Kinney” a.k.a Mr 6-7 himself posted — their posts helped propel this into a viral existence. It became more than the lyrics of a song because of the first followers.

So I hope when you look back at this trend, you can remember the jokes, the fun and the laughter you had AND also, how quickly people can connect around a shared idea once someone takes that first step, becomes the first follower. How, when enough people embrace something, it can become a part of the fabric of our culture.

Every year there are more Lakesiders joining the world and more Lakesiders coming into school. Consider how much unites us! The values of kindness. Empathy. Courage. Belonging. Community. And unlike a meme or a fad, those values never go out of style.

Class of 2030, I challenge you to notice, to make choices with intentionality and to make your commitment matter to others. Use your voice wisely, your influence generously, and your leadership courageously. And when you notice a cause worth supporting, a voice that needs defending, or a community in need of strengthening, remember that being the first follower can be the reason why kindness becomes an impactful trend, why belonging continues to live on.

Class of 2030: Thank you for the influence you have had shaping this community. It has been our privilege to care for you and be a part of your journey here at the Middle School.

Congratulations!