Just finished Seth Godin’s latest book, Tribes. It’s a short book, a quick read, and vintage Godin.
The subtitle of the book says it all: We Need YOU to Lead Us. That’s Godin’s point. There are countless numbers of tribes out there just waiting to be led. And thanks to the internet, these tribes are no longer bound by geography.
As I read through the book, I couldn’t help but think of Prayers For Blowouts. It’s my tribe of Christians who are sports fans, and I enjoy leading them by providing a place for them to interact and keep in the loop. In fact, the book spurred me on to initiate an idea I had been mulling over for a few weeks – adding a membership aspect to the site to give readers more ownership and a louder voice. So far, so good with that.
Here’s some things I highlighted while reading Tribes:
“Tribes make our lives better, and leading a tribe is the best life of all.”
“The internet is just a tool…The real power of tribes has nothing to do with the internet and everything to do with people.”
“True leaders have figured out that the real win is in turning a casual fan into a true one.”
“Which is true of all great leaders…they’re generous…they exist to enable the tribe to thrive.”
“This isn’t about having a great idea…this is about taking initiative and making things happen.”
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”
“The one thing all leaders have in common is the decision to lead.”