Seth Godin’s Definition Of A Tribe

I’m doing a lot of thinking about teamwork lately. With my peers, with our clients, and beyond. For the 13th or maybe 50th time, I picked Seth Godin’s classic Tribes up to help my brain out. 

Godin says, “A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” He continues, “A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.” 

It starts with the connection between two or more people

It continues with having someone who is willing to take the first step. 

It ends with an idea that the group agrees makes sense and steps towards. 

If you don’t have the idea, the step, or the group – you’re acting alone. 

But if you’ve got a shared interest in the idea and the ability to talk about it, you can make progress. 

Even when others don’t get it. 

All you need is a few people with the idea, the ability to communicate, and a step forward and you can change a lot. 

A LOT a lot. 

At any level – whether you’re a tribe amongst many tribes, or at the top of a tribe of tribes. The definition and how it drives change is the same.