Tribes that change the world
Seth Godin spread the news about tribes. He didn’t coin the theory of tribalism, but he did write a great book that outlined how to become a leader of a tribe and make that tribe worth being a part of.
Recently, I watched David Logan’s TED talk on “Tribal Leadership.” He promoted his idea that “as people see the world, so they behave.” And I couldn’t agree more. As he outlines this idea in 5 stages, it is clear that how the people think in the tribe dictates how they behave and, therefore, how the tribe changes the world. The 5 stages are:
Stage 1 Tribe: “Life sucks” – the world is horrible and there is no hope, so why try.
Stage 2 Tribe: “My life sucks” -it could be great if I had/did something else, but I don’t, so it sucks.
Stage 3 Tribe: “I’m great, and you’re not” – the majority of people/tribes are here. Thinking about my work, my reputation, and my own aspirations without highlighting the fact that other people could also have the same potential for success.
Stage 4 Tribe: “We’re great” – Our work, our reputation, our aspirations are important.
Stage 5 Tribe: “Life’s great” – the world is filled with hope and possibilities.
Logan explains that if you lead a tribe, you need to “not leave people where you found them,” but instead “nudge them forward” into a new stage. He argues that this can be done by moving people into a new tribe (a new job, a new city, a new relationship) or by creating a unifying cause that will bring people together.
The most important piece for me was this: Level 5 Tribes bring tribes together.
This set me off on a tangent of dreams – the possible causes that could unite my new tribe. It also made me think of effective ways to “nudge” people. How to make them believe in not only themselves, but in their peers and their common purpose.
Man – I love when my brain is aroused! Watch Logan’s video below to get some good mental stimulation:
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