Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Part 1 covers sections: “Tribes,” “Long, Strange Trip,” “Tribes Used to Be Local,” “In Search of a Movement, Tribes Aren’t So Squishy Anymore,” “How Was That Syrah?,” “The Tribe Inside,” “The Opportunity,” “Something to Believe In,” “Why Should You Lead? And Why Now?,” “Leadership Is Not Management,” “It’s Good to Be King,” “Stability Is an Illusion,” “Partisans,” “Making A Ruckus,” and “Leading from the Bottom.”

Seth Godin introduces Joel Spolsky, a software company leader who took on a “tribal” leadership role. Joel’s tribe looks to his passion for inspiration. Godin establishes what a tribe is: a group of people joined by a leader, or a group of leaders with a shared idea. He emphasizes humans’ need for growth and change—two things Joel offers in his industry. A tribe cannot exist without leadership roles, and leadership roles cannot develop without a tribe.

The author shifts into a new anecdote to show how tribal leadership irrevocably transformed the music industry: The Grateful Dead’s success has hinged not on financial achievement but on cultural impact. Being a “Dead Head” involves a sense of belonging, appreciation of the music and lifestyle, and understanding of in-group references. Due to the communal affirmation and sense of belonging, tribal membership helps foster self-esteem and self-image. Godin states that people want to belong to many tribes as long as those tribes make it easy to join and provide tools for living. He concludes, “[L]eading a tribe is the best life of all” (2).

The founder of Acumen Fund, Jacqueline Novogratz, is a case study in leadership initiative and technological problem-solving. She encourages entrepreneurs in developing countries to start organizations that supply local populations with things like water, medical equipment, and other basic provisions. Geography once limited how and where tribes coalesced, but—as Jacqueline demonstrates—the Internet empowers groups to organize in whatever fashion they wish and based on any shared interest. Digital tools help members coordinate and communicate. Godin believes that without strong leadership, tribal effort is wasted. He calls upon the reader to find their passion and enter the arena: “The Market needs you […] and the tools are there, just waiting” (3).

Some tribes are stagnant because poor leadership and authoritarian attitudes immobilize them. However, instead of discarding these tribes, Godin sees them as pure potential and believes they’re only waiting to be energized. What some tribes lack is a movement—an invigorating, animating cause—and the author believes anyone can harness today’s digital platforms to tap into a group’s potential or give it leadership. Pre-Internet coordination was limited with only traditional communication routes, but now people can connect instantly over social media, blogs, and more. Although it is massively important to tribe efficiency, however, the Internet is only a tool; the most important element to success is desire. Godin reassures the reader that if their desire hasn’t manifested, they needn’t lead others just yet. Authentic leadership will always rise to the top over selfish endeavors, so biding one’s time is sometimes necessary.

To illustrate authentic leadership, the author brings up a few different personalities. First, there is Gary Vaynerchuck, who has garnered an audience by introducing people to new wines and exploring the vintner industry. Gary does not exploit his tribe for profit but shares his passion openly with those who wish to listen. He didn’t invent anything; he simply improved upon an existing industry by implementing new techniques, conveying authenticity, and being open to change. Genuine passion and flexibility are keys to growing a movement. There is then a leader with a quieter personality: Mich Matthews, a senior vice president of Microsoft’s Central Marketing Group. Microsoft’s executives rely on her to guide its marketing campaigns and oversee a large internal tribe. She maintains a quiet public persona and wields her power without making waves. Tribes can be public or internal, vociferous or restrained. Godin expounds on the ubiquity of tribes—they are everywhere, in all forms and sizes. Many tribes are waiting for a leader to synergize and energize them. For years, Godin argued that everyone is a marketer, but he now extends this statement to say everyone is a leader. He calls the reader to action: “Without leaders, there are no followers. You’re a leader. We need you” (5).

Tribes are powered by cohesive belief. Every member respects and admires the leader as well as each other. Belief in oneself is an integral part of leading a tribe. Godin establishes three important changes in society that empower the individual: People have realized that passion-driven work is more fulfilling than just collecting a paycheck; organizations have concluded that work’s industrial model is outworn; and consumers increasingly invest in products that affirm their beliefs. With these facts established, Godin reflects on the stagnancy of the world’s current work mode: “We’re embracing a factory instead of a tribe” (6). In other words, instead of embracing innovation, we’re embracing rote work geared toward efficiency and stability. The culprit for this stagnancy is fear of change, which was effective for factory-style work but now gets in the way.

The author argues that people who like their job are more productive, open-minded, and impactful. Enter Jonathon Ive, a design leader at Apple who embraces his tribe and makes a difference. Similarly, Micah Silfry of Personal Democracy Forum finds meaning in political work while his group depends on his leadership. Many pathfinders are deemed heretics because they challenge the status quo; however, they are rewarded for their movement-making potential. Because such creative disruption can lead to success, and because tribes can facilitate that disruption, tribes can offer tremendous leverage in the marketplace. This leverage is open to anyone. Moreover, Godin exhorts, such profitability is “the easiest, and the most fun” path forward (7).

Godin argues there is a dire shortage of leaders amidst the world’s multiplying tribes. He asserts everyone in an organization is now expected to lead; individuals hold more power and leverage than ever before; the marketplace rewards people who embrace change and creativity; leading is fun, engaging, and profitable; finally, there is untapped potential waiting in groups of like-minded people who are searching for guidance. Leadership is within everyone’s reach. There is no perfect time or circumstance to take on the role—one simply must try.

To differentiate between leadership and management, the author highlights a classic I Love Lucy episode in which characters are overwhelmed by an assembly line’s increasing speed. This small catastrophe, says Godin, is a “management problem.” He points out that “[m]anagement is about manipulating resources to get a known job done” (8), while leadership is about change. Managers champion profitable, mechanical processes—their goal is to operate within the bounds of cost and efficiency. On the other hand, leaders embrace changes they believe in. Change may appear threatening, but those who accept it control the future.

To further illustrate the power of change, the author cites the impact of marketing and draws some historical parallels. For example, kings have historically been averse to change because their reign relies on the static compliance of their tribe. Therefore, kings have protected their power by enforcing stability and surrounding themselves with sycophants. Godin compares this power consolidation to modern-day CEOs; like kings who surround themselves with obedient subjects, CEOs often build corporations around themselves to secure their own power. However, just as warfare and politics changed how monarchies develop, marketing has made the traditional CEO role obsolete. This is because marketing is essentially storytelling, and storytelling is far more influential than a single person with high status. Godin also distinguishes between marketing and advertising: Unlike simple advertising, marketing involves engaging people. Also unlike advertising, marketing is cheap, draws on the power of a tribe, and spreads through stories. Marketing has evolved into something new that challenges stability.

The author says it is human nature to automatically believe the world has stability—but, while people may not instinctively challenge this faulty assumption, Godin believes marketing and storytelling have catalyzed a desire for change, especially with the Internet’s relentless flux of new information and shifting fads. New ideas are constantly popping up, and those who embrace them create opportunities. This revitalized market and its participants yearn for authenticity and creativity. Contemporary marketing movements favor fresh designs and anti-establishment mindsets—all this works in favor of the individual because individuality involves liberation from convention.

Traditional success depended on consistency, risk aversion, and resistance to change, but that model is extinct because people get excited by innovation and revolutionary ideas. Historically, conservative mindsets have flourished by preserving the status quo and thwarting any attempts at novelty. Godin cites failed car models as examples of new ideas that didn’t attract any momentum: These companies “were fighting an uphill battle” because they didn’t offer something that caught peoples’ attention (10), and they didn’t start a movement. In contrast, the auto industry is now being revolutionized by companies like Tesla and Toyota who are capitalizing on the excitement surrounding electric and hybrid cars. Godin believes the reader can do this too, whatever their expertise. Most people hesitate to take leadership roles because they feel undeserving, but Godin argues that even those at the bottom-most rung can change an organization. For example, Thomas Barnett was a low-ranking Pentagon employee who galvanized a tribe to rework how the military dealt with post-9/11 issues. The reader, too, can spearhead change if they have the right attitude and skill set; authority and status are unnecessary.