seth-godin-tribes

Tribes, by Seth Godin

Book Summary & Takeaways

Table of Contents

Tribes, by Seth Godin

Quick Book Summary

How can we use the concept of Tribes to build a business? 🤔

A “Tribe” is a group of people connected by an idea and a leader. A group can become a Tribe so long as the group’s members have a shared interest and a way to communicate with each other. In Tribes, by Seth Godin, the author teaches us that modern technology allows us to build connections more easily now than ever before. Therefore, it’s easier to build a Tribe than it ever has been.

The Tribe needs a leader, and that leader needs to be a heretic because heretics attract the attention of those looking for a Tribe. Additionally, the leader must lead through generosity and authenticity and empower the Tribe to communicate. In this way, a Tribe’s leader is a brilliant facilitator of communication and community.

You can’t build a Tribe if you try to appeal to everyone. You need to find the right people and work toward tightening the Tribe around its core. In this way, the Tribe will grow because the members of the Tribe will go out and recruit like-minded people.

As in Purple Cow, by Seth Godin and Free Prize Inside, by Seth Godin, our favorite author teaches us how to grow our business in a cost-effective and meaningful way. In, Purple Cow, Seth Godin taught us to make something remarkable to gain attention. In Free Prize Inside, Seth Godin taught us to deliver the customer something extra. One of Seth Godin’s key ideas in Tribes is that we can grow our business by building a community around an idea, a product, or a service, and by using leadership to facilitate powerful organic reach. 

Thanks for stopping by the page and checking out this book summary. I hope you enjoy the content.

Outline

Lesson 1: Tribes are about connection.

  • Tribes are about connection:
    • A tribe is a group of people connected to each other, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.
  • There are two (2) things required to transform a group into a tribe:
    • (1) a shared interest
      • Tribes align people behind a common goal, purpose, or idea.
    • (2) a way to communicate.
      • The more quickly and easily the tribe can communicate, the more that tribe will thrive.
  • Tribes are everywhere.
    • There are religious tribes, sports tribes, and comic tribes.

Lesson 2: Tribes are the new way of spreading ideas.

  • 👎 Old = Mass Marketing
    • Push a message to the masses 👉 average products for majority of folks.
    • The group or the company with the most money and power would win.
    • Advertising grew the consumer base.
  • 👍 New = Tribes
    • Create change through leading and connecting people.
    • Instead of pushing average ideas at the passes, assemble people with the same interests and help them to connect with others.
    • Tribe members will grow the tribe.

Lesson 3: Tribes follow heretics.

  • A “heretic”: A person holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted.
  • Heretics are people willing to challenge the status quo.
  • Tribes are waiting for heretics to identify something they’re passionate about and to assemble a tribe around that idea and then to lead the tribe forward.

Lesson 4: Tribes are assembled, NOT created.

  • Tribes are created by assembling a group that’s disconnected but already has a shared common interest. Tribes are not created by attempting to change a person’s opinion about something.
  • For example:
    • Barak Obama didn’t invent democrats; he led them.
    • Rush Limbaugh didn’t invent republicans; he led them.
    • The Beatles didn’t invent teenagers; they led them.
    • Fast Company didn’t invent innovators and entrepreneurs; it led them.
    • Pewdiepie didn’t invent gamers 🎮 he led them.
    • Tesla leads people who love electric 🚘 vehicles.

Lesson 5: Tribes aren’t for the masses.

  • A tribe doesn’t require everyone. As Kevin Kelly put it, you just need 1000 true fans.
  • You need a core group that cares enough to spread the idea.
  • A tribe requires true believers that have a desire to connect with other true believers.
  • Successful leaders focus on the tribe and ignore everyone else.

Lesson 6: Tribes become movements.

  • Tribes accomplish a common goal with the power of many.
  • A connected tribe with a common interest can grow into a movement, and movements can change the world.
  • Process:
  1. 📚 Tell a story (to people who want to hear it);
  2. 🌁 Connect a tribe (connect people that are desperate to be connected);
  3. 💪 Lead a movement; and
  4. 🌟 Make a change.

Lesson 7: The Elements of Leadership.

  • Leaders use a combination of the following elements to effectively lead (the 7 C’s):
    1. They challenge the status quo 👉 they’re heretics;
    2. Leaders build a culture around their goal;
    3. They have curiosity about the world they’re trying to change and about how things could be in the future;
    4. They have charisma to attract and motivate followers (sometimes being a leader gives you charisma);
    5. Leaders effectively communicate their vision for the future;
    6. They commit to the tribe’s cause and to its followers; and
    7. They connect 🤝 the tribe’s following.

However, leaders all have one thing in common: They made the decision to lead.

So, are you ready to lead?