What founders can learn from cult leaders.

Charismatic.
Persuasive.
Inspiring.

If you’re being kind and ignoring all the bad qualities, those three words are often synonymous with cult leaders. It’s how they manage to build such loyal followings.

And it’s also how I’d describe the founders with the biggest personal brands.

But there’s something else that cult leaders have that turns them into the ultimate influencers:

A clear and compelling point of view.

For Jim Jones, it was a form of anti-capitalism called “Apostolic Socialism”. The timing was perfect. In the 1950s, the hippie movement was starting to sprout. People were starting to question more traditional religious movements. Influences from Eastern culture were seeping in. There was also a cultural revolution going on in regards to racial segregation and gender rights.

In short, it was a period of turmoil.

And Jones recognised this. He saw the way the tide was turning, long before others did. He was positioned in a way to see all of these disparate threads and cunning enough to weave them together.

When the 60s approached, the seeds Jones had been planting started to bear fruit. There was a mass dissatisfaction with traditional Western philosophies. And Jones’ developed a POV that played into that general sense of malaise.

He saw that people were fed up of the status quo. And he presented a radically different way of viewing the world. And a different way of living in it.

The strength of that POV was what drove thousands of people to join him in Jonestown, his self-titled community established in Guyana.

Now, am I suggesting that founders drop everything and start a cult? Course not.

But there are some intriguing lessons to be learned here. Because the key to building a brand is to grow a cult following around it. So who better to learn from than cult leaders themselves?

Lesson 1: Start small.

Jones eventually became convinced that visions he’d had of a nuclear apocalypse would come true. That’s partly what prompted the move to Guyana. But if he’d started with this belief, nobody would’ve followed him. It would’ve been too much of a stretch.

Instead, Jones started small. At least comparatively speaking. He started with Communism. Karl Marx’s ideology had become increasingly popular in some circles at the time. By tapping into a shift that had already started, Jones was able to make that all-important initial traction.

When it comes to your founder POV, it’s important to start with a shift that people can instantly recognise and resonate with. It’s the classic foot-in-the-door effect.

And once you hook them in with that shift, you can lead the way to your perspective and belief.

Lesson 2: Be contrarian.

There was a curious moment in Jones’ life when he was hospitalised and accidentally placed in the black ward. This was when segregation was still rife, and usually this would be a major story.

But Jones took it in his stride, demanding that he stay in the ward, and even changing the bedpans of other patients. This a radically contrarian thing to do. It was pretty much unheard of. But for Jones, it was another way to garner publicity.

Founders that hold contrarian opinions get noticed. And attention is one of the most important currencies for founders and brands. It’s how you cut through the clutter.

(Note that you have to actually believe your contrarian opinion. Don’t be controversial just for the sake of it.)

Lesson 3: Captivate your audience.

Jones spent years perfecting his craft of delivering a message to his audience. For him, it was joining various churches as a pastor and delivering sermon after sermon.

In doing this he was able to figure out what resonated most with his audience. And more importantly learn how to communicate.

Most founders fall short here. They might have a game-changing perspective but if they can’t communicate it in a clear and compelling way, then nobody listens. And the game stays the same.

Whatever your chosen delivery method — whether it’s LinkedIn posts, a newsletter, video content, podcasts — you need to practice. You need to put in the reps. That’s how you learn what works and what doesn’t. It’s how you become a better communicator. And that’s a massive factor in growing a following.

“So, I should be a cult leader?”

Well, in a way yes. You should definitely take some lessons from them in terms of growing a loyal following. Building an audience is tough, but cult leaders take it to the next level. They build an audience of people willing to commit suicide for them.

Should you go that far? Probably not.

But if you want to build a cult following and a cult brand, then studying cult leaders isn’t the worst place to start.

Remember the key lessons I’ve shared here and you’re on your way to cult status.

Use your powers responsibly.

Thanks for reading,
Joe