Select Page

Celebrities aren’t always famous for being good actors or actresses, or great directors, or responsible leaders. Many celebrities are famous because they spotted something that would catch on, recognized it as a profitable trend, and proceeded to lead the world in adopting the trend. Being a trend leader won’t necessarily make you famous or allow you to walk the red carpet, but it can give you a sense of fulfillment like discovering a new species of animal and having it named after you.

 The process of leading a trend begins with discovering one, and there are two ways by which you can do this successfully: research and observation. First, you need to find the field that you want to specialize in. All fields have their own trends: artists have their fashion and art styles; writers have their writing styles and settings and the occasional murder-mystery that involves famous artists hiding secret messages in their paintings; even architects have to contend with trends that dictate how homes and buildings should appear. 

 As soon as you know what field you want to specialize in, you can move into the realm of research. Look at the history of your chosen field, and see what major trends people in it have followed. As soon as you spot the trends, look at what might have pushed the trend to be popular. Everything in history happens for a reason: mini skirts weren’t simply a way to cool women’s legs, but also served as protest in favor of women’s rights. The current upsurge of scientific research didn’t happen because of better funding, but because we have better tools to carry out research.

 If you know what can cause a trend to be adopted, then you can recognize a trend when you see it. You can now move into the realm of observation: look at the current events in your chosen field, and keep track of the latest news in other fields. As soon as you spot events that might push a trend to occur, be on the lookout.

 If you spot a trend, what do you do? You write about it and you use it. For instance, if you are in fashion, write about that new revolution in skirts and why it will tick; couple your writing with an example, and wear the skirt yourself. If you preach that a trend will occur, then you have to be the first to follow it.

 Lastly, admit defeat. Not all trends are destined for success. The key to being a great trend leader is to go back to research and observation, and to keep on trying.