Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization (Hardcover)

~ Dave Logan (Author), John King (Author), Halee Fischer-Wright (Author)
Key Phrases: private client group, spiral dynamics, tribal strategy, Stage Three, Stage Four, Stage Two (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The authors, management consultants and partners of JeffersonLarsonSmith, offer a fascinating look at corporate tribes—groups of 20–150 people within a company that come together on their own rather than through management decisions—and how executives can use tribes to maximize productivity and profit. Drawing upon research from a 10-year study of more than 24,000 people in two dozen organizations, they argue that tribes have the greatest influence in determining how much and what quality work gets done. The authors identify the five stages of employee tribal development—Life sucks, My life sucks, I'm great and you're not, We're great and Life is great—and offer advice on how to manage these groups. They also share insights from the health care, philanthropic, engineering, biotechnology and other industries and include key points lists for each chapter. Particularly useful is the Tribal Leader's Cheat Sheet, which helps determine and assess success indicators. Well written and enlightening, this book will be of interest to business professionals at all levels. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Leaders of both for profit and non-profit organizations, including politicians, and can benefit from perusing Tribal Leadership." -- McClatchy-Tribune News Service

"[A]n unusually nuanced view of high-performance cultures. . . . [S]hare the book with your Type A’s and prima donnas, as it expertly describes the tension between loners who perform exceptionally and those who perform exceptionally but who measure success as part of a team." -- Inc.

"[T]he most thorough and unique book to come along pertaining to organizational dynamics in quite some time....Whether you’re trying to move an organization forward or trying to move forward yourself, Tribal Leadership is a great place to begin your efforts. -- Business Lexington

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness; 1 edition (January 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061251305
• ISBN-13: 978-0061251306
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Business Management > Organizational Behavior
  #17 in	Books > Business & Investing > Organizational Behavior > Workplace
  #83 in	Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Leadership

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a business book I can use, a lot., February 1, 2008

By	Robert Richman (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Length:: 1:54 Mins

I've read a lot of business books and most of them I think about once and rarely even think about it. With Tribal Leadership I find it applicable whenever I talk about work, or talk to someone about their company. (more in the video)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only read one book on organizational culture, this should be it, January 23, 2008

By	Russell Gonnering (Elm Grove, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To all those wondering "Why?" and "How?" certain organizations are more productive than their peers, Logan, King and Fischer-Wright have some concrete answers. In their landmark book, "Tribal Leadership", they explore the essence of organizational culture. What they have uncovered is a dynamic at least 15,000 years in the making, and at the heart of all human organizations: the tribe. We operate in a "tribe"-a group of 20 to 150 people- in which important decisions are made and productivity is determined. Larger organizations are "tribes of tribes". Five stages describe the evolution of the tribe, from savage and dysfunctional to innovative and powerfully inspirational. What sets this work apart is its practical advice on both identifying the stage of the tribe and the means to advance to the next stage. Laced with real-life examples, the book is eminently readable. There is no doubt it will transform the reader, no matter where their own tribe finds itself. They will understand the difference between leading and commanding.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What stage are you and your company? How do you get to the next level?, January 23, 2008

By	Rich (California) - See all my reviews

The most insightful management book I've read since business school.

The book starts with an accessible framework for evaluating corporate cultures, each with instantly recognizable traits -- from the DMV to Apple to your company. Stage 1: Life sucks. Stage 2: My life sucks. Stage 3: I'm great (and you're not). Stage 4: We're great (and they're not). Stage 5: Life is great.

While the vast majority of the working world is stuck in stages 2 and 3, Tribal Leadership delivers tools to help individuals and organizations break through to the next evolutionary stage. I found this a powerful, pragmatic and surprisingly fun read.