The following contains excerpts from the book, Tribes (Seth Godin).
At our music school in Midland, Texas be believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships. The discussion of relationships is paramount when dealing with Leadership.
Tribes was published in 2008, and was written to give a clarion call, to anyone who chooses to lead, that the Internet has given them a perfect platform to do so. Never before in history has an individual been given so much leverage to change civilization with their ideas. Godin contrasts the ‘industrial age’ way of doing business, with all of its hierarchical structure, intimidating into submission all those who might have hoped to lead, with the new paradigm with a need for more leaders, and not just leaders, but radical heretics who challenge the status quo.
In this new paradigm the Internet has spawned, a leader is not to function ‘top down,’ but rather be able to communicate an idea that everyone else embraces as their own. Of equal importance, this leader makes it possible for each of the members of the ‘tribe’ to communicate with one another effectively. Although much of what Godin presents is directly related to the emerging technology of the day, he admits that it is only a powerful resource, and not the ‘agent’ of leadership. Leadership is simply a choice.
“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea…You can’t have a tribe without a leader- and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”
It is our goal at our music school in Midland, Texas to help each student see their unique potential and how it applies to their future choices of relationships and influence. We hope to inspire leadership in each one of them, as they pursue their passions and dreams to serve others.
“The Internet is just a tool…The real power of tribes has nothing to do with the Internet and everything to do with people. You don’t need a keyboard to lead…you only need the desire to make something happen.”
“Generous and authentic leadership will always defeat the selfish efforts of someone doing it just because she can.”
“Tribes are about faith- about belief in an idea and in a community. And they are grounded in respect and admiration for the leader of the tribe and for the other members as well.”
“Three things have happened…”
- Many people are starting to realize that they work a lot and that working on stuff they believe in (and making things happen) is much more satisfying than just getting a paycheck and waiting to get fired (or die).
- Many organizations have discovered that the factory-centric model of producing goods and services is not nearly as profitable as it used to be.
- Many consumers have decided to spend their money buying things that aren’t factory-produced commodities. And they’ve decided not to spend their time embracing off-the-shelf ideas. Consumers have decided, instead, to spend time and money on fashion, on stories, on things that matter, and on things they believe in.
“My thesis:
- For the first time ever, everyone in an organization- not just the boss- is expected to lead.
- The very structure of today’s workplace means that it’s easier than ever to change things and that individuals have more leverage than ever before.
- The marketplace is rewarding organizations and individuals who change things and create remarkable products and services.
- It’s engaging, thrilling, profitable, and fun.
- Most of all, there is a tribe of fellow employees or customers or investors or believers or hobbyists or readers just waiting for you to connect them to one another and lead them where they want to go.
“Leadership isn’t difficult, but you’ve been trained for years to avoid it…Management is about manipulating resources to get a known job done…Leadership, on the other hand, is about creating change that you believe in. Leaders have followers. Managers have employees. Managers make widgets. Leaders make change.”
We hope to lead students at our music school in Midland, Texas by giving them insight into their own unique giftedness, as well as helping them develop those innate abilities through core competencies. When they connect to these things, they become effective in inspiring others to follow a similar process.
“Marketing is the act of telling stories about the things we make- stories that sell and stories that spread…Marketing used to be about advertising, and advertising is expensive. Today, marketing is about engaging with the tribe and delivering products and services with stories that spread.”
“In Permission Marketing, years ago, I wrote about how marketers must earn the right to deliver anticipated, personal, and relevant messages to people who what to get them…But tribes go much further. That’s because in addition to the messages that go from the marketer of the leader to the tribe, there are the messages that go sideways, from member to member, and back to the leader as well.”
“If leadership is the ability to create change your tribe believes in, and the market demands change, then the market demands leaders.”
“Leaders must become aware of how the organization works, because this awareness allows them to change it. Leadership doesn’t always start at the top, but it always manages to affect the folks at the top.”
“Great leaders create movements by empowering the tribe to communicate. They establish the foundation for people to make connections, as opposed to commanding people to follow them.”
One of the most important principles we teach students at our music school in Midland, Texas is that each colleague deserves respect. When we can see the uniqueness in someone else, it opens the door to collaboration, and collaborative creativity often yields dynamic results.
“Improving a Tribe:
“As we saw earlier, it takes only two things to turn a group of people into a tribe:
- A shared interest
- A way to communicate
“The communication can be one of four kinds:
- Leader to tribe
- Tribe to leader
- Tribe member to tribe member
- Tribe member to outsider
A similar thing is experienced by students in our music school in Midland, Texas when playing in ensembles. When musicians come together to make music, it requires each of them to come prepared with their own unique contribution, as well as listening skills to go beyond what they themselves are producing to be attentive to what their colleagues are creating. This kind of empathy is needed in today’s world.
“So a leader can help increase the effectiveness of the tribe and its members by:
- Transforming the shared interest into a passionate goal and desire for change
- Providing tools to allow members to tighten their communications
- Leveraging the tribe to allow it to grow and gain new members
“Tribes…aren’t about stuff. They’re about connection.
This is a powerful statement, and it holds true for the values we believe in at our music school in Midland, Texas. Music connects us to one another, and participating in it properly creates a symbiotic experience for everyone involved.