The Tipping Point

Malcolm Gladwell describes the tipping point as the moment when an idea, behavior, or trend crosses a threshold and suddenly spreads rapidly like an epidemic. He’s written two outstanding books on the topic. I highly recommend both. The tipping point is determined by:

• The right kind of people. Certain people matter more than others.
• A message that sticks. It must be compelling.
• Context. Timing and environment matter.
• Self-sustaining threshold. Probably unique to the context.

Look around at the system in which you find yourself. Most people wait for a revolution, or believe they need to start a loud revolution. But systems usually change earlier than when anybody would call it a revolution. They change when a few influential people start behaving as if the old rules no longer apply. The strange power of the tipping point is that from the outside, nothing appears to be happening, until suddenly everything looks inevitable. Ask yourself: Can you be the right person? Do you have a message that can stick? Is it the right time and place? Can you get to the self-sustaining place? History doesn’t always thunder when it turns. Sometimes it leans and just needs a nudge.