e·van·ge·list/əˈvanjələst/ noun

• a person who seeks to convert others to the CIT thinking, especially by public exhortation and living the CIT principles.

“Evangelist” is a great ‘tag’ to start because every great idea begins with passionate and great thinking. Great ideas are pushed into being by, change agents or “evangelists”. Evangelists don’t just drink the Kool-Aid, they live it and truly believe in the innovation they espouse.

What separates true evangelists and change agents from the rest of the flock is the intangible fire they possess. Evangelists are willing to bet their political capital and careers on a new ‘disruptive’ process or idea. Evangelists will talk about their project or interests; not just to those interested, but to their colleagues during lunch, their friends when not working, and more.

Evangelists are very persuasive. They are absolutely essential to getting buy-in from the rest of the organization. They are also the ones to convert the first couple of flagship participants. If at least a percentage of your crisis intervention team does not consist of evangelists, the team has a good chance of failing.

Why? Because evangelists conduct themselves like mini-CEO’s. And that’s what you need at a time when roles and responsibilities are still in the process of being defined. You need go-getters, self-starters, and learn-as-you-go people who are willing to put on different hats rather than expect to delegate to an assistant.

Evangelists get their hands dirty. They are not just theorist—they are practitioners. They are willing to work, do, and try. They are willing to show a critical eye, but are also willing to find alternates instead of just criticize.

Only an evangelist can convince a crusty patrol veteran to try a small innovation in dealing with the mentally ill consumer.

Further, evangelists will help you to recruit other strong talent. The intensity of evangelists will probably scare off ho-hum bench-warmers and attract the A-team the big change initiative will need, especially in the formative months.

Years ago one of the men who helped form my world view taught me:

“Everything rises or falls on leadership. Everything.”

And I believed him. He was a true leadership “evangelist”. Dr. Lee Roberson (1909 – 2007), the founder and Chancellor of an alma mater, was fanatically about leadership. And as a result of his fervor, he impacted two generations of leaders.

I am a CIT evangelist. Join the crusade with me, won’t you?

Of course, your mileage may vary…

Dr. Jay