It is easier to fight for change than to agree on what that change should be.
There are far more great stories of the digital community taking someone or something down than there are great stories about digital communities building a real and sustained solution.
There are a number of basic human truths that fuel this negativity:
- bad news spreads faster than good news...
- it's generally easier to be critical than productive...
- negative movements often don't require the same sustained commitment...
- the list goes on.
I don't mean to minimize the commitment it takes to mount a revolution. However, it is far easier to agree to dislike the status quo than to agree around what to do about it. And therein lies the limits of the power of the community. Great leaders lead. Visionaries have strong vision. And great communicators drive people to believe in their path forward. Social media is a set of communications tools and dynamics, not a replacement for leadership, vision or strong communications.
Meaningful, lasting, positive and productive change is going to need leaders, visionaries and communicators. And in our brave new world, the better ones are going to learn to leverage the community to build. To paraphrase the Lubavitcher Rebbe: The challenge of a leader isn't to quell dissent, but to direct that incredible momentum towards the sublime.