Quiz:  How to Start a Movement

It's time to test your listening comprehension of Derek Siver's TED Talk on How to Start a Movement.

You can take the quiz and have it automatically scored below.

However, if you have problems viewing the online quiz, scroll down below the online quiz. I've also provided the text (you can write your answers on a sheet of paper) or you there is a PDF you can download.

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Write down you answers (answer key below)

You can download the quiz as a PDF file here or simply write down your answers to these questions on a separate paper.


1.  Derek says a leader needs the guts to stand out and be ridiculed.  What does he mean by “needs the guts to stand out"?

a.  a leader needs to have a good idea

b.  a leader must have a brave follower

c.  a leader has to be brave and have courage in front of other people

d.  a leader must be honest to be a good leader


2.  Derek says the first follower transforms _________________________ into a leader.

a.  the most courageous person

b.  a lone nut

c.  another follower

d.  the most intelligent person


3.  One of your friends invites you to go to the movies and another invites you to go to dinner.  If you are “sitting on the fence” what do you do?

a.  you go to the movies

b.  you go to dinner

c.  you go to the movies and then dinner

d.  you don’t go to either


4.  Which of these people is probably someone from the “in-crowd?”

a.  the most popular girl at school

b.  a lone nut

c.  a strict teacher

d.  a computer nerd


5.  Why does Derek say that “leadership is over-glorified?”  (Check all the correct answers).

a.  a leader gets all the credit

b.  without the first follower there would be no leader

c.  leaders are arrogant and believe they are too important

d.  everyone should try to be a leader because it takes a lot of courage


Quiz Answers

1.  c

To have the guts to stand out  means to be brave or to have courage in front of other people. They may even laugh at the leader and say hurtful comments (= to ridicule).

2.  b

Derek says a follower transforms a lone nut  into a leader. When there is only one person, he is not a leader.

He is just a person all by himself doing something and if he is doing something that looks different or unusual he will seem like a “nut” (a crazy person). When one person follows that single crazy or different person, the “lone nut” becomes a leader.

3.  d

Sitting on the fence means that you cannot decide between two choices. You stay where you are.

4.  a

The in-crowd is the group of people others want to be like or be with.

5.  a, b

Derek says that we are all told that leadership is super important. Most people are told that leaders are more important than followersleadership is therefore over-glorified.

However, a leader is just a single person (who often looks like a crazy person to others). A leader is a lone nutuntil the first follower comes and joins him… that makes the person a leader.

So David says, to start a movement a follower has to have the courage to stand up and join someone who is doing something great. The follower is just as important, if not more important, but the leader will always get the credit (be the one that everyone applauds for what happens).


How did you do on the quiz?  Click here to return to Derek Siver's TED Talk lesson.