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Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us Hardcover – October 16, 2008
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The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller that redefined what it means to be a leader.
Since it was first published almost a decade ago, Seth Godin's visionary book has helped tens of thousands of leaders turn a scattering of followers into a loyal tribe. If you need to rally fellow employees, customers, investors, believers, hobbyists, or readers around an idea, this book will demystify the process.
It's human nature to seek out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. Social media gives anyone who wants to make a difference the tools to do so.
With his signature wit and storytelling flair, Godin presents the three steps to building a tribe: the desire to change things, the ability to connect a tribe, and the willingness to lead.
If you think leadership is for other people, think again—leaders come in surprising packages. Consider Joel Spolsky and his international tribe of scary-smart software engineers. Or Gary Vaynerhuck, a wine expert with a devoted following of enthusiasts. Chris Sharma led a tribe of rock climbers up impossible cliff faces, while Mich Mathews, a VP at Microsoft, ran her internal tribe of marketers from her cube in Seattle.
Tribes will make you think—really think—about the opportunities to mobilize an audience that are already at your fingertips. It's not easy, but it's easier than you think.
- Print length160 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPortfolio
- Publication dateOctober 16, 2008
- Dimensions5.2 x 0.7 x 7.28 inches
- ISBN-101591842336
- ISBN-13978-1591842330
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Former U.S. senator Bill Bradley
"Tribes is a short book--only 147 pages. But its short size belies its true importance. As I read it, I was literally underlining every other sentence. I went through two hi-lighters before I finished!
This is one of the most important books I have read this year. I highly recommend it."
Michael Hyatt
From the Author
While most leadership books are actually about management, about some form of coercion to get people to do what you want them to do, this is a book about the internal struggle we have to choose to lead.I hope it resonates with you.
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Product details
- Publisher : Portfolio; 1st edition (October 16, 2008)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 160 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1591842336
- ISBN-13 : 978-1591842330
- Item Weight : 8.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.2 x 0.7 x 7.28 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #27,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #12 in Production & Operations
- #187 in Business Processes & Infrastructure
- #429 in Leadership & Motivation
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author

Seth Godin is the author of 20 international bestsellers that have been translated into over 38 languages, and have changed the way people think about marketing and work. For a long time, Unleashing the Ideavirus was the most popular ebook ever published, and Purple Cow is the bestselling marketing book of the decade.
He worked as a year as the volunteer founding editor of The Carbon Almanac, and his recent bestsellers also include The Practice and This is Marketing.
He's a recent inductee to the Marketing Hall of Fame, and also a member of the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame and (go figure), the Guerrilla Marketing Hall of Fame.
His book, Tribes, was a nationwide bestseller, appearing on the Amazon, New York Times, BusinessWeek and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. It's about the most powerful form of marketing--leadership--and how anyone can now become a leader, creating movements that matter.
His book Linchpin came out in 2008 and was the fastest-selling book of his career. Linchpin challenges you to stand up, do work that matters and race to the top instead of the bottom. More than that, though, the book outlines a massive change in our economy, a fundamental shift in what it means to have a job.
In addition to his writing and speaking, Seth was founder and CEO of Squidoo.com,. His blog (find it by typing "seth" into Google) is the most popular marketing blog in the world. Before his work as a writer and blogger, Godin was Vice President of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!, a job he got after selling them his pioneering 1990s online startup, Yoyodyne.
He's known as a pioneer in online education, and was the founder of the altMBA.
You can find every single possible detail that anyone could ever want to know at sethgodin.com
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Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).
Godin defines a tribe as a "group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea." He contrasts the factory from the tribe where the factory represents efficiency, stability, and potentially the absence of "fear." Fear, Godin said, not of failure (although fear gets attributed to this) but instead fear of criticism. Leaders fear but they successfully overcome fear with visions of success. Faith (not in a religious sense), but faith as hope which overcomes fear is essential. Leaders focus their energies on: transforming people's shared interests into passion and desire for change; providing tools to facilitate members' communications; and leveraging the tribe to gain new members (p. 25). Technology facilitates a wide array of opportunities to facilitate tribe formation. Godin described leaders as those who care and act, not for monetary or status benefits, but instead to "[watch] the tribe thrive. " A central theme is that new ideas and innovation occur within those who step outside the "factory" to imagine anew.
I'm intrigued by the notion of tribes including how they are formed and sustained. My difficulty with this book contrasting the factory and heretics (leaders) as though factory work/workers were less than heretics. What I learned from interviewing women who worked in a factory was that these women were not automatons merely following orders, there was a strong sense of agency and action. This characterization of "the factory" is a tired description that can invalidate people's lived experiences. He raises a valid point that innovators often go against prevailing modes of thinking, being, and acting. If you're interested in learning how to harness and sustain online communities, I suggest reading instead: Hunt, T. (2009). The whuffie factor. New York.
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2023
Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).
Godin defines a tribe as a "group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea." He contrasts the factory from the tribe where the factory represents efficiency, stability, and potentially the absence of "fear." Fear, Godin said, not of failure (although fear gets attributed to this) but instead fear of criticism. Leaders fear but they successfully overcome fear with visions of success. Faith (not in a religious sense), but faith as hope which overcomes fear is essential. Leaders focus their energies on: transforming people's shared interests into passion and desire for change; providing tools to facilitate members' communications; and leveraging the tribe to gain new members (p. 25). Technology facilitates a wide array of opportunities to facilitate tribe formation. Godin described leaders as those who care and act, not for monetary or status benefits, but instead to "[watch] the tribe thrive. " A central theme is that new ideas and innovation occur within those who step outside the "factory" to imagine anew.
I'm intrigued by the notion of tribes including how they are formed and sustained. My difficulty with this book contrasting the factory and heretics (leaders) as though factory work/workers were less than heretics. What I learned from interviewing women who worked in a factory was that these women were not automatons merely following orders, there was a strong sense of agency and action. This characterization of "the factory" is a tired description that can invalidate people's lived experiences. He raises a valid point that innovators often go against prevailing modes of thinking, being, and acting. If you're interested in learning how to harness and sustain online communities, I suggest reading instead: Hunt, T. (2009). The whuffie factor. New York.
[...]
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My name is Gregory Cox, and I am a Heretic.
What I learned from Seth Godin's Tribes.
Hello everyone. My name is Gregory Cox, and I am a heretic AND leader.
I wanted to start this review that way, because the book Tribes by Seth Godin is going to make you a bold person. It's going to make you excited about following your heart, about following your passions, and showing you the absolute need for you to be a leader in your business, your family, and your life. And - and this is what it's all about - other people's lives.
Are you ready to be a leader?
Why is it that Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead were followed around like a second coming of Christ? With only one top 40 album, the Grateful Dead became a complete movement unto themselves. And there's a reason. This book addresses that.
The Grateful Dead: one Top 40 album, HUGE following.
Tribes used to the local. Now, their global. There is the ability in our lifetime (!) to instantly communicate with one another, all over the world. And we are just beginning. Someday soon even, I don't even think languages are going to be a barrier. In our lifetime we will most likely see instantaneous communication between cultures, without learning different languages.
So, are you ready to be a leader? It's not whether you can get in touch people anymore, it's if your signal to noise ratio is high. That means what you say is more important than how many times you say it, or how loud you shout it. It's about speaking with authority and purity. It's about speaking with passion. It's about saying I know the way.
It's fun to be a heretic.
I am a heretic. Hence, the impishness.
For me, being in business for myself is much about being my own boss. One might say that's a cop out. One might also say that it's a greater responsibility. Especially to my clients.
I'm supposed to be the court jester, the fool, the dreamer, the magician, the one that challenges opinions and beliefs. Especially in marketing.
After all, if marketing is a predator and prey interaction, one might say that I am supposed to think like a heretic. I can't beat out my competition if I'm doing the exact same thing they are doing.
Leadership is not management.
Leadership is about creating change that you believe in, not about ordering people around. It's about changing status quo, not maintaining or managing it. There is no stability in life. Everything changes all the time, including in marketing. So, welcome change with open arms.
1000 true fans.
1000 fans will bring you enough attention and support to make a great living. 1000 fans will support you through your life - financially and otherwise. Many of the organizations that I (and Seth, apparently) have bumped into care about numbers, not fans. This is a very bad way to enter into the future.
Let me ask you this: do you think it's important to get on Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn because it will bring you money, or because it will connect you with the people that will influence your future? QED.
Envision yourself rich beyond your wildest dreams.
Now what is important to you? Where would you throw your time?
Well, that's what should be important to you right now. It's important a start with the right mindset. And there are many books that say the same thing. If all you're here to do is to make money, you probably won't make much money. There are exceptions, of course. But are they happy?
Being a leader means being uncomfortable.
You know, Jesus made his disciples uncomfortable. He wanted them to be leaders.
The very nature of leadership is to lead others. That means there's nobody in front of you telling you what to do or where to go. That means it's going to be uncomfortable. Get over it.
If you accept the fact that you must be a leader, then you must accept the fact that it will be uncomfortable. Use your discomfort to drive you forward. I believe that adopting the right mindset means pushing towards discomfort. If you feel yourself becoming too comfortable, it's time to shake things up.
Your tribe members are not blind sheep.
If your followers do what you say without question, two things will happen. One, you will never ever find a quiet time to yourself ever again. Two, your tribe will never grow.
Hey, it's getting better.
They use to burn heretics at the stake. At least you don't have to worry about that anymore.
Why settle when you can achieve greatness?
And perhaps this is why I wrote this article for Vision Fridays. There is no logic in going for mediocrity.
And now that you have the ability to connect with everyone in the world very quickly, why not try out some of those crazy ideas on the global populace?
Why not challenge yourself throughout your life? Why not challenge others? The limit of what you can do is most certainly less restricting than you think it is. Why not find out the limits of your capabilities?
Start a tribe. At the very least, at the end of your life you won't have to wonder.
Top reviews from other countries
I gave it a shot and it was worth it. Deep insights by the author which is surprisingly a result out-of-the-box thinking. Go for it!
Reviewed in India on September 1, 2023
I gave it a shot and it was worth it. Deep insights by the author which is surprisingly a result out-of-the-box thinking. Go for it!
Está en la naturaleza humana, necesitamos sentirnos parte de algo, porque así nos sentimos protegidos. Hace miles de años nos ayudaba a sobrevivir pero hoy en día nos ayuda a darnos un sentido, a sentirnos útiles.
El líder es la cabeza visible de la tribu, el que incita al cambio, el que lo lidera, porque es muy distinto decirle a la gente qué hacer o provocar una reacción en tu gente a través de la motivación.
El líder debe ser capaz de transformar un interés común compartido por la tribu, en un objetivo claro que saque lo mejor de cada miembro de la misma. Además debe ser capaz de generar una comunicación vertical (líder-tribu) y horizontal (entre los miembros de la tribu) fluida. Un líder tiene seguidores, un manager tiene empleados.
Si eres líder, vas a sentirte incómodo porque estás expuesto. Allí donde hay un malestar hace falta un líder: proponer una idea que puede fallar, cuestionar el statu quo… y esto es lo que hace que la gente prefiera no moverse, no por el miedo al fracaso, sino por el miedo al maldito “qué dirán”.
Si eres líder y no sientes ese miedo al fracaso no estás dando todo lo que puedes como líder, no estás lo suficientemente expuesto.
Piensa en dos clases, la primera con 10 alumnos y la segunda con 20. ¿A cuál le irá mejor?Probablemente a la primera porque el profesor tendrá más tiempo a dedicar por alumno y porque los grupos pequeños son más fáciles de gestionar. Es por esto que para que una tribu mejore no necesita muchos miembros, necesita buenos miembros; microlíderes. Ellos marcan la diferencia reclutando nuevos miembros y haciendo que el mensaje de la tribu se trasmita de manera correcta.
Liderar es una elección, la elección de no quedarte parado, de exponerte, de crecer.
Haz siempre cosas en lo que creas, sé honesto contigo mismo y con los demás, porque recuerda:
“ La gente no cree lo que tú le dices.
Es raro que crean lo que le enseñas.
Suelen creer lo que le dicen sus amigos.
Siempre creen lo que se dicen a sí mismos”
Estos conceptos podemos aplicarlos en el ámbito laboral, si alguna vez llevamos un equipo de personas o con nuestros compañeros de trabajo, pero también pueden usarse en cualquier otro ámbito. Internet ha eliminado cualquier barrera, así que podemos pensar en este blog, todos los que estamos aquí nos gusta la lectura (interés común) y podemos usar esta plataforma para crecer como personas a través del estudio y comunicarnos entre nosotros 😉
El mundo necesita líderes, gente comprometida capaz de cambiar las cosas. Así que por favor, vence a la pereza y sé tu mejor versión, céntrate en dar y te sorprenderá lo que recibirás a cambio.
Te necesitamos.
My focus isessentially on book writing, reviewing, publishing and marketing, so initially I found Tribes less helpful than I’d expected.
In historical and anthropological terms, a tribe is "a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognised leader". (Google defn.)
A traditional tribal group generally has no written language, only the spoken word. and not unusually, there are different recognised roles for men and women (and children) in traditional societies.
But I also understand the general direction in which Godin’s 'Tribes’ is heading, and with a different definition: "A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea". Godin's understanding of present-day tribes in advanced societies focuses on members who are in possession of sophisticated hardware and software to create on-line (rather than face to face) communities. These are Godin's ‘Tribes’ who might never meet face-to-face, and are vastly different to older, anthropological communities where the lives of tribal members are constantly at risk and total commitment to a tribe is vital.
For one thing, in the new world of Godin's ‘Tribes’, we can simultaneously belong to any number of different tribes if we so choose. We can drop in and out as each one chooses. The commitment level feels very different, as the modern ‘Tribes’ are much more communities of mutual interest than communities of kinship. With so much done for free and given freely, creating a new Tribe becomes, in Godin's words 'an act of generosity'.
What struck me most is the role of leadership in the Tribes that Godin refers to.
Here, leadership is not traditional command and control, etc, but someone (or someones) who has the vision, pursues it, and draws together a community of mutual interest for the journey. It takes a great deal of leadership vision and commitment to start a new Tribe, which presumably is what every present-day author now needs to do; and the new tools are, in essence, the shifting landscape of social media platforms.
So the encouragement and vision that Godin gives is worth the 4 stars I’ve given 'Tribes'.
But, whether I am closer to my own goal to draw together and createa new ‘Tribe’ around a new theme that has multiple dimensions, is still far from clear! - Rob Mackintosh
Also a short read, I read it in just less than a week, worth every penny and I would recommend anyone wether or not you wish to be a leader as this book inspires action to pursue what you love whatever it may be, very transferable skills, I would read it again.















