Tribes by Seth Godin

Tribes buy on amazon
ISBN: 1591842336
Read: 8/11/09
Recommended? Buy it. Godin’s writing is fantastic, and inspirational. This could be a business devotional book. Check out his blog.

Notes

  • A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, a leader and an idea. The only two things a tribe really needs are a way to communicate (ala The Internet, or social media or a blog) and a shared interest. Tribes are no longer limited by geography
  • Everyone has the potential to be a leader or a marketer. Skills and attitude are necessary, authority is not.
  • Leaders don’t push. They pull, they create a movement that prompts the tribe members to discuss and spread the word. They aren’t managers who delegate and oversee, they just lead.
  • To grow a tribe, a leader needs to seek out people who believe in what the leader does. But many times, a leader should focus on creating a tighter knit tribe. Size isn’t all that necessary.
  • A tribe doesn’t need millions. For instance, an artists really only needs 1,000 true fans. There’s a threshold for true fans actually needed. Beyond that is nice, but there a tribe can still be influencial with a smaller number (see the rule of 150 in The Tipping Point).
  • Leaders are heretics. They cause a ruckuss; they challenge the status quo. Leaders don’t fall victim to fear, they are aware of it and push past it. Leaders have faith in what they’re doing.
  • Leaders have to earn the permission and respect of their tribes to really market and reach out.
  • Great leaders give. They focus on the tribe and what they can do for the tribe. It’s not about the leader; a great leader will be challenged to help their tribe.
  • Lean in and take leadership — just showing up isn’t an option. Or back off, only provide a place for the tribe to communicate (see Wikipedia).
  • Ask forgiveness, not permission.
  • Many times an new idea is not as profitable or well run as the old method at first. It grows into that. Don’t be afraid to start, ideas are never perfect. It’s rarely too early for innovation. Change the rules before someone else does.
  • Create an entire culture around a goal or idea.
  • Sometimes you’re not the one to lead. It takes guts to admit that. Other option: find leaders and give them a platform.
  • Tribes are the most powerful media channels ever. But they aren’t for sale or rent. That’s why leading a tribe is so powerful.
  • Be willing to be wrong. Invest in loss (see The Art of Learning).
  • Don’t try to convert loyalists. Seek the people on the fringes without so many well defined alliances.
  • Charisma is a choice, not some innate trait.
  • Tribes grow when the members recruit others. Members recruit others because they believe the tribe will help the recruits. In that sense, a tribe has to add a lot of value — it’s the job of the leader to create or bring about that value.
  • Movements happen slowly — commitment before success.

Memorable Quotes

“Defending Mediocrity is exhausting.” p. 32

“The art of leadership is understanding what you can’t compromise on.” p. 79