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Seth Godin defines a tribe as a group of people who are connected to one another, a leader, or an idea. He uses this framework to discuss various examples of tribes throughout the book. Tribes is not a manual on how to start a tribe, rather he picks examples from society and then discusses tribes in terms of “this is how it’s done.” The main theme running through the book is that of leadership, and that anyone can lead a tribe. All you have to do is step up.

The Five Big Takeaways

1. “You can’t have a tribe without a leader—and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”

2. “Human beings can’t help it: we need to belong.”

3. “The market needs you (we need you) and the tools are there, just waiting. All that’s missing is you, and your vision and your passion.”

4. “Generous and authentic leadership will always defeat the selfish efforts of someone doing it just because she can.”

5. “Do you believe in what you do? Every day? It turns out that belief happens to be a brilliant strategy.”

Tribes Summary

- A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.

- To be a tribe, you must have two things: a shared interest and a way to communicate.

- Tribes need a leader. That leader can be one person or more. People want connection and growth and variety. They want something new.

- There’s no tribe without a leader, and there’s no leader without a tribe.

- Human beings need to feel connected. We need to belong.

- Our ancestors survived because they were part of a tribe. We need to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people. We get excited by leaders and their ideas. We can’t fight the urge to belong and the thrill of the new.

- It turns out, we want to belong to many tribes, not just a single tribe.

- The market needs you and the tools are easily available. The only thing missing is your vision and passion.

- Generous leadership will always defeat the selfish efforts of  someone doing it just because she can.

- Tribes are believing in an idea and in a community. And they are grounded in respect for the leader of the tribe and for the other members as well.

- Do you believe in your work every day? It turns out that belief is a brilliant strategy.

-  New leaders do not conform. They challenge the status quo, get out in front of their tribes, and create movements.

- Leadership, is about creating change that you believe in.

- Marketing is the act of telling stories about the products you make. Stories that sell products and stories that spread.

- If you want to grow, you must find customers who will join you or believe in you or donate to you or support you.

- Leaders make a ruckus.

- “A leader can 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; and • leveraging the tribe to allow it to grow and gain new members.”

- A crowd doesn’t have a leader. A crowd is a tribe without communication. Most organizations spend their time marketing to the crowd. Smart organizations assemble the tribe.

- An individual artist needs only a thousand true fans in his tribe.

- Changing the status quo gives you the opportunity to be remarkable.

- In a battle between two ideas, the best one doesn’t necessarily win. No, the idea that wins is the one with the most fearless person that doesn’t conform behind it.

- “The essence of leadership is being aware of your fear (and seeing it in the people you wish to lead). No, it won’t go away, but awareness is the key to making progress.”

- People aren’t afraid of failure, they fear blame and criticism.

- People choose not to be remarkable because they’re worried about criticism.

- We hesitate to create innovative movies, design restaurants      that makes diners take notice, or give an audacious speech because we’re      worried, deep down, that someone will hate it and call us on it.

- “One bad review doesn’t ruin my day because I realize what a badge of honour it is to get a bit of criticism at all. It means that I  confounded expectations—that I didn’t deliver the sequel or the simple,      practical guide that some expected. It means that, in fact, I did something worth remarking on.”

- Products that get talked about are the ones that are worth  talking about.

- So the challenge, is to answer these two questions: 1. If I get criticized for this, will I suffer any measurable impact? 2. Will I lose my job, get hit upside the head with a softball bat, or lose important      friendships?

- How do I create something that critics will criticize?

- “I think you know the answer—great leaders focus on the tribe  and only the tribe.”

- “Great leaders don’t want the attention, but they use it. They  use it to unite the tribe and to reinforce its sense of purpose.”

- The first thing a leader can focus on is to bring the tribe together.

- A tribe that communicates quickly, and with emotion, is a tribe that thrives.

- Leadership is rare because few people are willing to face the discomfort required to lead.

- “The one path that never works is the most common one: doing nothing at all.”

- You’re not going to be able to grow your business or feed the tribe by going after most people.

- “Change isn’t made by asking permission. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later.”

- “Leaders who set out to give are more productive than leaders who seek to get.”

- “The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. But the hardest thing is to initiate.”

- “Reacting is intuitive and instinctive and usually dangerous.”

- “Responding is a much better alternative.”

- “This isn’t about having a great idea (it almost never is). The great ideas are out there, for free, on your neighborhood blog. Nope, this      is about taking initiative and making things happen”.

- “I define sheepwalking as the outcome of hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them brain-dead jobs and enough fear      to keep them in line.”

- “You can always claim the career you deserve merely by refusing to walk down the same path as everyone else just because everyone else is      already doing it.”

- “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”

- The only thing that makes people great is their willingness to be not great along the way.

- “Failure” is the untold secret of success.

- “Growth doesn’t come from persuading the most loyal members of other tribes to join you.”

- “Change almost never fails because it’s too early. It almost always fails because it’s too late.”

- “Caring is the key emotion at the centre of the tribe. Tribe members care what happens, to their goals and to one another.”

- “Tribes grow when people recruit other people. That’s how ideas spread as well.”

- “If your organization requires success before commitment, it will never have either.”

- Part of leadership is the ability to stick with the dream for a long time. Long enough that the critics realize that you’re going to get      there one way or another… so they follow.

- “What leaders do: they give people stories they can tell themselves. Stories about the future and about change.”

- “Waiting doesn’t pay. Saying yes does.”

Conclusion

Anyone can build a tribe. All you have to do is step up, be a leader, and communicate your ideas through messages and stories that are new and exciting.  Finally, look for ways to make a positive change, instead of sheepishly following an outdated plan. 

-Denershan

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/denershannaidoo 

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YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZq4QtagBqOLp_sK6OFFyEA 

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