It’s our nature.. For millions of years, humans have ben seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are conected to one another, a leader, and an idea
Now the Internet has eliminated the bariers of geography, cost, and time. Al those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger. But more important, they’re enabling countless new tribes to be born—groups of ten or ten thousand or ten million who care about thier iPhones, or a political campaign, or a new way to fight global warming.
And so the key question: Who is going to lead us?
The explosion in tribes means that anyone who wants to make a difference now has the tools at her fingertips.. That still has to come from individuals— people just like you who have passion about something. The Web can do amazing things, but it can’t provide leadership
Or Gary Vaynerhuck, a wine expert with a devoted following of enthusiasts. If you think leadership is for other people, think again—leaders come in surprising packages. Consider Joel Spolsky and his international tribe of scary-smart software engineers. Al they have in common is the desire to change things, the ability to connect a tribe, and the willingness to lead.. Chris Sharma leads a tribe of rock climbers up imposible cliff faces, while Mich Mathews, a VP at Microsoft, runs her internal tribe of marketers from her cube in Seatle
If you ignore this opportunity, you risk turning into a “sheepwalker”—someone who fights to protect the status quo at all costs, never asking if obedience is doing you (or your organization) any good. Sheepwalkers don’t do very wel these days.
It’s not easy, but it’s easeir than you think.. . . . Tribes will make you think (really think) about the oportuniteis in leading your felow employes, customers, investors, believers, hobbyists, or readers
EAN: 9781591842330
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Should I buy the Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us?
This Is Heresy!
In the classic Godin style, more than anything this book is motivational, with an expected emphasis on embracing change and overcoming the F-word (Fear). But this time there's more to it (hence the multitude of tags) -- leadership! We have to assemble and lead a tribe, and "managing" isn't going to work. We must start movements, via motivation and connectivity. "The barriers to leadership have fallen," as the necessary tools are now readily available: blogs, search, RSS, social networks, GTD, progress trackers, etc.
Short and sweet at 127 unstructured, linear entries, it's an assortment of advice, admonitions, case studies, experiments, quotations, and anecdotal stories, including a revision to the Peter Principle(!). I was compelled to compile my own glossary to aid in remembering all the rich metaphors. It includes: authentic generosity, balloon factories (and unicorns), charisma, criticism, curiosity (vs fundamentalism), heresy (vs status quo), faith (vs religion), remarkability (vs fear), leadership/empowerment (vs sheepwalking, vs participation, vs management), micromovement, passion (vs bureaucracy), reinvention (vs perfection), thermostat (vs thermometer), tribe (vs factory), yes/no (vs not yet) -- words which will now have a refreshed home in my vocabulary.
Paraphrasing some of the most resonant excerpts:
- Capitalize on a non-obvious moment/opportunity; get there first.
- Recipe for starting a micromovement: manifesto, connectablity, money is not the point, track progress.
- Persuasion: don't start with opposition, seek the uncommitted passionates.
- Help your tribe sing, whatever form that song takes.
- Elements of leadership: challenge status quo, create culture, be charismatic, communicate vision, connect.
- "I started a newsletter..."
I appreciate that Seth's content is not simply borrowed or extended from his blog, but enters fresh in his books. I should also mention that Seth's is about the only blog among my 200 subscriptions whose entries I will never skim over.
Purple Cow and The Big Moo motivated me to quit my programming factory day job some months ago and pursue my dream of ending corporate life and starting my own business. Now Tribes has given me what I believe will be the perspective to lead a people, as Seth does. In fact, because I'm in Seth's exclusive tribe (exclusion is a key component of tribes), he sent me (and other members) a surprise free, advanced copy of the book. And now he'll sit back while his members write rave reviews about it and sneeze over the importance of tribes and leadership. That is remarkable.
Leadership is about passion and with passion comes an opportunity
Call me a fanboy, but I'm convinced that each Seth Godin book is the best. (I read them all as soon as they are out). "Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us" is no different. I like each new book best because we're all learning as we go along and refining ideas and Godin has a way of, well, leading his tribe of followers. We've learned what's going on in that distinctive looking head of his over the years and, for many of us, it is well worth following the ideas.
I found Tribes to be Godin's most urgent book. What I mean is that he sets out an imperative and encourages people to become leaders. But he delivers this message in stronger terms than he offered as calls to action in his other books. That's a good thing because Godin's tribe is with him and we want to be led.
The other day I was describing Tribes and somebody said to me, "The world can't have only leaders, we need some followers too." For me, one of the most powerful messages in the book is that you can be a leader of anything -- it could be a club, or a class, or your local dog park, or the library fundraising committee. Leadership is about passion and with passion comes an opportunity (requirement perhaps?) for the leadership of a tribe.
Who will you lead?
Seth leads us into leadership!
After years of building a solid foundation in marketing strategy, Seth Godin has now graduated to leadership guru with this book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.
The book helps chronicle (and diagnose) the dilemma facing all of us in the increasingly inter-connected world: How do we best re-organize ourselves into coherent units ("tribes") when geography is no longer paramount? (because of the Internet) and who is going to lead the new communities that emerge? Tribes helps you rethink your own career strategies and personal leadership potential to position yourself for success in this new world.
I've been a fan of Seth's since I first downloaded his classic "The Bootstrapper's Bible: Volume 1" years ago. In fact, his books were a major reason I started blogging and writing books myself. Building and marketing online communities is a specialty of mine professionally, so I was pleased to find here useful strategies for maximizing their potential.
Tribes is full of the quality "Seth insights", new buzzwords, and practical suggestions for advancing one's career that he delivers so consistently. The book is easy-reading with concise discussions of many popular and pressing modern business topics. These topics range from the critical role of new communications tools like social networks in business, to how to grow a loyal audience, and especially how to lead the employees/fans/friends you attract if you use those tools effectively.
I'm happy to report that Tribes is a solid addition to the Godin canon worth purchasing. It will open your eyes to the many new leadership opportunities that the modern economy offers you.
Scott Fox
Author of Internet Riches: The Simple Money-Making Secrets of Online Millionaires
Tribes Is A Book for Entrepreneurs
Tribes is for you. If you are an entrepreneur, Tribes is especially for you. That is true regardless of being one of the new Baby Boomer Entrepreneurs or if you are one of the young people around the world who are responding to the call to entrepreneurial careers as a result of Global Entrepreneurship Week. It is for you because "We need You to lead US".
Tribes will help you develop your entrepreneurial mindset. It will do that by helping you think about how much time you spend reacting, responding, and initiating. You will explore the difference between things that happen to you and things you do.
Tribes will give you new ways to evaluate entrepreneurial ideas. It will begin by sharing with you that it is not so much about having great ideas. Ideas are plentiful and often free. It is much more about taking initiative and making ideas come to reality.
Tribes will help you find a new work - life balance. You will learn to craft a life from which you don't have to escape.
Tribes is a different style book. It resembles a conversation between you and Seth Godin. Rather than having chapters, you will discuss thoughts...thoughts that uncover for you his main point. You don't have the opportunity to lead; you have the obligation to lead. That understood, Seth will encourage you to make a decision to lead.
Excellent Content and Relevance
This book represented so much of how leadership comes together as a tribe and a community that rallies to create movements that start from a shared vision, not as an individual, but through the vision of leaders willing to take risks and step into something bigger than them and living in the discomfort of hoping others will believe as well. I had a chance to interview Seth Godin on 10/30/2008 and he shared some wonderful insights. Along with this book - check out my interview on The Leading Connection Podcast Series at http://feeds.feedburner.com/LeadingConnectionPodcast. Keep up the Great Work Seth.
