Tribes
We Need You to Lead Us
Seth Godin

Book Review

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

Reviewed by Marty Vanags

Whenever I hear the word "heretic" I think of the Spanish Inquisition dance number and scene in Mel Brooks' movie "History of the World." It's a big production number that includes priests and would-be heretics being burned and tortured. Leave it to Mel Brooks to take a subject that might be a bit touchy in some religious circles and turn it into an all-out satiric farce.  I haven't seen much of the movie, but that scene sure stands out.

One does not hear the word "heretic" too often these days. It seems to be one of those medieval words that don't fit into our modern world. It is usually relegated to the political pundits and those trying to make a gross point about someone who has not fit the mold. The Republicans might cast Senator Arlen Specter in that role. But, leave it to Seth Godin, author of Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, to revive the word "heretic" and include as part of his lexicon describing what he believes is a third wave of change facing our business world. In Godin's eyes a heretic is a change agent and, if you like change, a good thing.

Specifically, Tribes is a book that explains how people flock to groups that hold interest for them. It has been going on for thousands of years and just recently it has been made much easier for people to join or become part of a specific tribe due to the reach of the Internet. The Internet is growing 50 percent annually, with music and video growing the fastest.  By 2012 Asian web surfers will outnumber North Americans by three to one. Almost 73 percent of the US population uses the Internet. This is telling for the concept of tribes. The formation of any tribe historically was relegated and limited by geography, affinity and family. Today with the use of the Internet, tribe development can occur globally with the only limitation being common interest.

Godin describes these "eras" of business development in his book. The first was the Factory era. Henry Ford figured out how to pay people more through the development of efficient assembly line systems. By developing these systems, Ford was able to create an automobile very cheaply. Efficient use of labor, the wise use of machines and, ultimately, the improvement of these machines to do more and to do it faster resulted in huge economic gains for millions of Americans. This factory era made products cheap and created a middle class. But cheap labor in the US over the years started becoming a scarce commodity, as global competitors arose. More and more previously undeveloped countries became economic powers; their labor was so cheap we couldn't compete and thus arises the Television and Mass Marketing era.

If we can't build and sell it to you for really cheap, we will inundate you with advertising and mass marketing to make you believe that you can't live without it. Whatever it might be-cars, cigarettes, laundry detergent, etc.-all of these items have mass appeal, and without the "check" of open and transparent systems, how would we ever, as consumers, know any better. It's hard to believe today, but there was a time when cigarettes where being touted by doctors as good for your health.

Enter the tribe. The tribe can share information. The tribe can check out the facts, post them on the Internet and be cross-checked by others who have had the same experience. The tribe can go to a website and check it against others who have already used the product, scrutinized the owners' or marketers' claims and rate the product or service. So who leads these tribes? How can we know how the tribe can have any impact?

Godin says that tribes are lead by you. Yes, you, and it is up to you to lead people through your passion. Obviously, the Internet has allowed a number of people to attain notoriety through leading others. Would Barack Obama have been elected president if not for a "tribe-like" effort through his savvy social networking talent, many of whom were volunteers? In the case of a political campaign, the tribe leaders are especially fervent and passionate about their cause and mission. Could an immigrant liquor store owner's son become one of the  most closely followed (tribal chief and tribal followers) people on the Internet, all in the cause of good wine (Gary Vaynerchuck and WineTV)?

Tribes and their leaders, according to Godin, are created by those who would thumb their nose at the status quo. The heretic or leader is interested in upsetting the proverbial apple cart, according to Godin. Godin calls those who aren't interested in leading "sheepwalkers," which may a bit harsh. As the old adage says, "lead, follow or get out of the way." According to the book, a sheepwalker, which is a cross between sheep who follow and sleepwalkers who seem asleep yet are able to carry out functions as if they are awake, epitomizes the "follow or get out of the way" idea. Godin encourages all of us to be leaders. He believes that we all can and now that we have the powerful tool of the Internet and social media and networks at our disposal we can be more successful.

I can't help but think that if we were all leaders, who would follow? Don't you have to have followers to be leader? I buy into the human-potential-everyone-can-do-it-glass-half-full mentality of what Godin is saying. However, right away I can think of a couple people who couldn't lead themselves out of a wet paper sack if their life depended on it. That part of the book is hard to swallow. The book and its message should be better interpreted as saying that everyone has the potential to be the leader and the opportunity to do so. It is easier than ever today, and those who can't or don't lead in some fashion will have a harder time of their lives.

Better to learn the nuances of a wet paper sack to get you out of a tough situation-i.e. life's great expectations, work issues, personal development-than sit and do nothing. Godin believes in the potential of everyone to succeed using the tribe mentality. Whether it is leading a church committee, a work group or your family, leading has just gotten easier. The potential for change; the ability to help your fellow human, animals or the earth has hit a global scale, and leading a tribe will make it so. So, as Godin says, rise up and lead-pretty soon people will follow.

Reviewer's note: While I wrote this, I reached over 600 followers on my Twitter account (@bnedguy, just in case you are inclined), which really isn't the point of Godin's book, but makes you wonder why they (my followers) think I have something to offer them.

Note: A video of Seth Godin describing this book can be found in a post on Marty Vanags' blog at: http://martytheeconomicdeveloper.blogspot.com/.