In honor of International Literacy day (last Friday), we’re celebrating with an inside look at Seth Godin’s Tribes; We Want You to Lead Us. We’ll review it in all its glory and downfalls, and maybe you’ll want to pick it up later today for some light weekend reading.
Whether you are in love with Sushi, a big fan of your favorite football team, enjoy snorkeling, love to party on rooftops or really enjoy Omar Khairat, you are definitely not alone. There are hundreds of people who enjoy the same passions you do, and you could easily connect with them on the internet.
“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” – Seth Godin, Tribes
Tribes is an easy and enjoyable read for anyone, even if you are not into marketing. A mix of self-help/motivational leadership stories and insights on tribes and how to lead them, Tribes can reach out to almost anyone.
The book is enjoyable enough to read on the beach, yet will still have you put it down to take deep breaths as you let things sink in.
The book is written in short and precise chapters, some not even filling an entire page. It makes it easy for the weekend book warrior to go through a few chapters whenever they can.
Godin’s style of writing is conversational, making readers feel as if they are sitting with him in the room. The friendly and conversational tone is what makes it a great read for the beach, while his observations and insights keep you going to the next page.
Main ideas and Observations
“Human beings can’t help it: we need to belong.”
“A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”
“You can’t have a tribe without a leader—and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”
“Tribes need leadership. Sometimes one person leads, sometimes more. People want connection and growth and something new. They want change.”
“A crowd is a tribe without a leader. A crowd is a tribe without communication. Most organizations spend their time marketing to the crowd. Smart organizations assemble the tribe.
“We choose not to be remarkable because we’re worried about criticism.
We hesitate to create innovative movies, launch new human resource initiatives, design a menu that makes diners take notice, or give an audacious sermon because we’re worried, deep down, that someone will hate it and call us on it.”
“Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.”
“A tribe that communicates more quickly, with alacrity and emotion, is a tribe that thrives.”
“Change almost never fails because it’s too early. It almost always fails because it’s too late.”
“If your organization requires success before commitment, it will never have either.”
In the End
Tribes is about building a community through actual leadership, not management.
It is an inspirational and motivational read for entrepreneurs (new or established), about how to gather people together to create a movement instead of a riot.
Godin writes using examples from the world around us, as well as from his own observations. The book subtly throws life changing advice through soft and friendly words.
For many, it is simply a great and easy read for the bedside table or the beach.
You can find the book at Diwan Bookstores.
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is the author of 15 international bestsellers, including Permission Marketing and Purple Cow.
He was recently inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, one of three chosen for this honor in 2013. He is currently one of the most popular business bloggers in the world, and posts daily on his blog.