Human beings need to belong. It’s in our nature. And being a part of a tribe is a big part of how we define who we are and how we see ourselves. Seth Godin’s book, “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us,” calls all trailblazers, torchbearers and trendsetters to lead in today’s new kind of world.

The Opportunity

Whether you know it or not we’re all part of tribes already. It’s your friend group, close colleagues, or yoga studio. But with the advent of the Internet and geographic boundaries essentially eliminated, the development and growth of tribes can happen anywhere and anytime. People are interacting and communicating in ways now that were once impossible. We’re seeing online DIY craft communities, thanks to Pinterest, and Fortnite gamer threads via Reddit. Because the channels of connection are endless and tribes are forming everywhere, Godin believes we have a vast shortage of leaders. 

And as a champion of your brand, that’s where you come in. In order for companies to survive and stay relevant in a world of wall to wall products, they need to understand how to tap into their consumers’ experience and create a sense of belonging. While the web can do amazing things, it can’t provide leadership. That guidance still needs to come directly from people — people like you who have zeal, a fire, and outright enthusiasm for something…for anything. Seth Godin wants you to lead. If you need some motivation before diving into 151 pages, here are some lessons from his book and how to get started. 

Start with Belief

Turns out, if you believe in what you do and why you do it, you’ve started off on the right foot. Belief is a powerful strategy for building a tribe. Consumers are deciding to spend their money on fashion, stories, things that matter, and things they believe in. 

You can’t have a tribe without a leader and you can’t be a leader without a tribe. So first, one must know how to be a leader, rather than a manager. Management is about telling people what to do so they do it. Whereas, leadership is about creating change — establishing the foundation and inspiring people to communicate with one another, as opposed to commanding people to follow them. Before forming a tribe, leaders ask themselves, “What can I do to enrich the lives of those around me?” and “How can I use my leadership to inspire and motivate others?” 

Launch a Movement

Every movement starts off micro. Think about Times Up and #MeToo. It started as desire, got written into a letter and then grew into a world-wide conversation. Below are the five things you need to do to start a micro-movement.

1. Publish a mission. Why does your movement exist? Why should people care? Why should they join you? Godin mentions it doesn’t have to be printed or written. As long as it’s mantra for your way of looking at the world, and tribe members can become united. 

2. Make it easy for your followers to connect with you.

3. Make it easy for your followers to connect with one another.

4. Realize that money is not the point of a movement. Sure it helps to enable it, but it is never the point of it.

5. Track your progress.

Leaders That Went First

Wikipedia didn’t become one of the top ten sites on the Internet by being just another online encyclopedia. Its co founder, Jimmy Wales, attracted a small group of people and engaged them in a vision. Wales connected the tribe members to each other through the means of technology, and gave them a platform they could use to engage the outside world.

Another great example is Crossfit. What once started as a book and a community of people doing (very) insane fitness routines being posted to the site by Greg Glassman, has now become a global phenomenon. This is because Glassman understood how to create an environment where the tribe not only wants to share ideas and build camaraderie with one another, but feels empowered to do so.

Where Do You Go From Here?

There has never been a better time to build a tribe. There are remarkable ideas waiting to be spread and organizations wanting to grow. “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us” will make anyone think about the opportunities for leading employees, consumers, and believers. So what are YOU waiting for? Will you lead or will you follow?

Godin, S. (2008). Tribes: We need you to lead us.