Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin. Publisher: Porfolio, 2008, 147 pp., $19.95
Tribes is a “must read” for today’s leader! You’re probably asking, “What in the world is a tribe and why in the world does it matter?” A tribe is a group of people who are connected to one another, with a leader and with an idea. It is human nature to belong to a tribe. Tribes come in all shapes and sizes. Tribes gather around many different ideas or causes, such as political, religious, social, business, consumer, ethnic, etc.
So what? How does understanding tribes help us in our ministries or congregations? In simple terms, knowing how tribes function, and how they need and respond to leadership, is an invaluable key for effective leadership. You might call it the secret to great leadership.
If the book does nothing else, it will make you think, really think. Tribes are about connections, the kind of connections that bring people together and connect them with a leader and with a cause bigger than the tribe itself. This sounds like what we hope happens in our local churches doesn’t it? Our goal is not just to gather a crowd every Sunday. It must be about connecting and communicating. As Godin points out, “A crowd is a tribe without a leader. A crowd is a tribe without communication.” What is missing many times in churches today is the depth of commitment and inter-connection between individuals. Gathering a crowd won’t get it! Assembling the Tribe will!
A tribe has three elements: a leader, a cause and fans (tribe members who are committed and engaged with the cause). Great tribes also have genuine connectedness built on consistent communication. There are tribes committed to protecting and preserving the status quo, and others on a mission bring about change. Can you guess which tribe is thriving and which is barely surviving?
In which of these two camps do you find your tribe (your church)? Is your congregation spending more of their time, energy and resources preserving the past or creating the future? If you desire to lead your church into the latter, you’ll want to read this book. The key to an exciting, effective tribe is leadership.
In fact, this book is more about leadership than tribes and movements. It is a book that encourages and stirs up potential leaders. Tribes can’t bring about change without leaders. In fact, they aren’t really a tribe without a leader. The secret of leading a tribe is simple. “Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.” We urgently need leaders today, leaders who care about change, about making a difference, and who are willing to gather a tribe and take them into the future.
Dr. Larry S. Doyle, Director of Missions
Piedmont Baptist Association
Greensboro, NC
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