Book Review: Tribes

 

Tribes

We Need You to Lead Us
 by Seth Godin

I bought this little gem at Crossway Community Thrift on our 3 day mini vacation in Canmore, Alberta last summer.  What I like about this book is that it's premise is that we all lead someone.  Leadership isn't exclusive, and in today's inter-connected world, opportunities to lead abound.

Godin emphasizes finding your tribe, much the same as an influencer might do so, but in a genuine, authentic way.  What are you good at?  Who do you gravitate toward?  Who follows you?  Why?  Find your people and show the way.

By seeing yourself as a leader, you avoid "groupthink," which makes you less prone to what Godin calls, "sheepwalking," - mindlessly following societal norms, becoming complacent and operating on autopilot.

If that doesn't resonate with you, try watching this 5 minute conformity experiment on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6kWygqR0L8

I'd like to think I would be the one still sitting down in this video!  

Tribes encourages us to replace the "It's the way it's always been done," with your own viewpoint and why you've adopted it.  He tells us not to fear taking initiative, embracing change and being willing to innovate your own path.  In doing so, we naturally become leaders of those around us.