The Tribe Leadership Model
You do not need permission or millions; you need a thousand true fans and a cause
Seth Godin identifies three eras of how change happens. The factory era used efficient production and cheap labor to change the world. The TV era used big advertising budgets to push ideas on the masses. Now we are in the tribe era, where change comes not from money or media control but from leading. A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. Tribes are not new -- they go back 50,000 years -- but the internet has made it possible to find and connect tribes of any size around any interest.
The critical insight is that you do not need everyone. As Kevin Kelly taught, you need about a thousand true fans who care enough to get you the next round. Tribes are not about mass marketing average ideas to the masses; they are about finding true believers who share your passion. Heretics who look at the status quo and say 'this will not stand' are the leaders tribes need. Charisma does not create leaders; leadership creates charisma. You do not need permission to lead a tribe. They are waiting for you.
- It is tribes, not money or factories, that can change the world
- You do not need everyone; you need about a thousand true fans
- Heretics look at the status quo and say this will not stand -- they are the leaders we need
- You do not need charisma to become a leader; being a leader gives you charisma
- You do not need permission from people to lead them
- Find a Status Quo Worth ChallengingWhat we do for a living is find a piece of the status quo that bothers us, something that needs to be improved, something itching to be changed, and we change it. The first step is identifying what you care enough about to challenge. This must be genuine conviction, not market analysis. The movements that succeed are led by people who personally cannot abide the current state of things. Ask yourself: what makes you angry enough to stand up and say 'not me' when everyone else sits quietly?Pro tipThree diagnostic questions: who are you upsetting (if no one, you are not changing anything), who are you connecting, and who are you leading?
- Find the Disconnected Group That Already Has a YearningMost leadership is not about persuading people to want something they do not have. It is about finding a group that is already disconnected but yearning for connection and change. The Beatles did not invent teenagers; they decided to lead them. Bob Marley did not invent Rastafarians; he stepped up and said follow me. Your job is not to create desire from scratch but to find people who already care and give them the connection and direction they are craving.Pro tipLook for communities that are already passionate but poorly organized or lacking a clear voice -- they are waiting for someone to articulate what they feelWarningDo not try to persuade the masses; focus on the passionate fringe who will carry your message to everyone else
- Build the Culture and ConnectionTribes need culture: a secret language, shared rituals, a way of knowing who is in and who is out. Create the structures that allow tribe members to connect with one another, not just with you. People want to be missed when they do not show up. They want to belong. Build systems where members can find each other, share their passion, and develop the identity markers that signal tribal membership. The connection between members is often more valuable than the connection to the leader.Pro tipWhat people want more than anything is to be missed when they are gone; design your tribe so that absence is noticed and felt
- Commit and Lead with CourageLeaders of tribes share four characteristics: they challenge the status quo, they build culture, they are curious about people inside and outside the tribe, and they commit fully to the cause and the people. The commitment piece is non-negotiable. Half-hearted leadership produces half-hearted tribes. The act of leading itself generates the charisma that attracts more followers. You do not wait until you feel charismatic to start leading; you start leading and the charisma follows.Pro tipCreate a movement that takes only 24 hours to start; begin today rather than waiting until everything is perfect
Nathan Winograd, the number two person at the San Francisco SPCA, set out to make San Francisco a no-kill city when 4 million dogs and cats were being killed annually. People from SPCAs around the country flew in to testify against him. He went directly to the community, connecting with passionate non-professionals. He succeeded in San Francisco, then replicated the model in Tompkins County New York, North Carolina, and Reno.
When Al Gore set out to change the world on climate, he did not do it by himself or by buying ads. He created a movement by training thousands of people around the country who could give his presentation for him. He could not be in 500 cities each night, so he empowered a tribe of true believers to carry the message.
Blake Mycoskie created TOMS with a simple idea: every time someone bought a pair of shoes, he gave an identical pair to someone who did not own shoes. The product was not designed to get shelf space at retailers; it was designed to tell a story. When someone asks about the shoes, the wearer gets to tell the story on Blake's behalf.
Seth Godin developed the tribe leadership concept through decades of marketing and publishing experience. He identified three historical eras of change: the factory era exemplified by Henry Ford paying workers $5/day to run efficient production, the TV advertising era where mass marketing pushed average ideas on average people, and the emerging tribe era enabled by the internet. Godin observed that the internet, rather than homogenizing everyone as predicted, actually created silos of interest where Ukrainian folk dancers, pirate enthusiasts, and volunteer firefighters could find each other and connect. He saw leaders like Nathan Winograd transforming the SPCA, Al Gore building a climate movement, and Blake Mycoskie creating TOMS Shoes all using the same pattern: finding a disconnected group with a yearning, connecting them, and leading them toward change.