During the McCarthy era, government spies infiltrated underground political rallies to determine who was "dangerous to
national security." The agents were trained applause watchers.
They photographed and investigated men who clapped first,
shouted "Bravo" the loudest, and smiled the longest at the end of
politically inflammatory speeches. The spies dubbed those the
"dangerous ones." The infiltrators felt first responders were confident cats who had the power to persuade followers and the
charisma to lead crowds.
In less politically sensitive gatherings, the same principle
applies. People who respond first to a presentation or happening,
without looking around to see how everyone else is reacting, are
men and women of leadership caliber.
Cool Cats Clap First
You are sitting in an auditorium with hundreds of fellow employees listening to the president of your firm introduce a new concept. As you're slouching anonymously in the audience, you think
your expression is invisible to the man or woman at the podium.
Not so! As a speaker, I guarantee you every one of my colleagues
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How to Be a Leader
in a Crowd, Not a
Follower
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sees every smile, every frown, every light in every eye, and every
emblem of extraordinary human intelligence flashing back at him
or her.
Likewise, the company president making a presentation anxiously surveys his corporate jungle and, from the pusses peering
back at him, senses which employees are sympathetic and which
are not. He also knows which in the sea of faces floating in front
of him has the potential to be a heavy hitter like himself. How?
Because heavy hitters, even when they do not agree with the
speaker, support the podium pontificator. Why? Because they
know what it's like to be on. They know, no matter how big or little the cat at the front of the room is, when giving a speech he's
concerned about the crowd's acceptance.
When the company big shot delivers his last line, carefully
contrived to bring the crowd to its feet or employees to acquiescence, do you think he's unaware of who starts the trickle, or the
riptide, of acceptance? No way! Though his head is down while
taking a bow, with the insight of a McCarthy-era spy, he perceives
334 How to Talk to Anyone
Technique #91
Lead the Listeners
No matter how prominent the big cat behind the
podium is, crouched inside is a little scaredy-cat who is
anxious about the crowd's acceptance.
Big winners recognize you're a fellow big winner
when they see you leading their listeners in a positive
reaction. Be the first to applaud or publicly commend
the man or woman you agree with (or want favors
from).
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precisely who inaugurated the applause, precisely how long after
the last words were uttered, and precisely how enthusiastically!
Being the first to put your hands together, being the first to jump
to your feet, and, if appropriate, being the first to shout "Bravo,"
gets you big cat status with the tiger who was talking.
Be the first clapper no matter how small the crowd, no matter how informal the talk. Don't wait to see how everyone else is
going to respond. Even if it's a small group of three or four people standing around, be the first to empathize with the speaker's
ideas, the first to mutter "good idea." It's proof positive you're a
person who trusts his or her own instincts.