The tribes we lead - Seth Godin

Summary

In this talk, the speaker explores the concept of leading change by creating and spreading ideas through tribes, rather than relying on traditional methods like factories or mass media. He discusses the evolution from the factory cycle to the TV era, and finally to the current tribe-based model, exemplified by individuals like Nathan Winograd who transformed animal shelters. The speaker emphasizes the importance of challenging the status quo, building a culture, and connecting people to create movements that drive meaningful change.

Takeaways

• 🎭 The speaker humorously starts by mentioning unusual invitations to speak at events, setting a light-hearted tone.
• 🤔 The talk delves into the introspective question of what the audience's profession is, highlighting the desire for change and improvement in various fields.
• 🐾 The story of Nathan Winograd from the San Francisco SPCA is used as a case study to illustrate the power of an individual to create significant societal change.
• 🏙 The concept of 'no-kill' cities for animals is introduced, showcasing how a determined individual can transform community norms.
• 🌟 The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating, spreading, and implementing ideas as a key aspect of leadership in various domains.
• 🏭 The 'factory cycle' is described as an outdated model of change, highlighting the shift from industrial to more modern methods of influencing society.
• 📺 The 'TV cycle' is critiqued for its reliance on mass marketing and the diminishing effectiveness of this approach in the current media landscape.
• 🔗 The 'tribes' concept is introduced as a modern model of leadership, where connection and community are more powerful than traditional methods of influence.
• 🌐 The internet is recognized for enabling the formation of tribes and the spread of ideas, challenging the notion that it would lead to homogenization.
• 🚀 The talk concludes with a call to action, urging the audience to embrace their potential to lead and create movements for change.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the talk?

The main theme of the talk is the power of individuals and communities to create change by challenging the status quo and leading movements.

Why did the speaker mention people who dress up in big stuffed animal costumes and those who make balloon animals?

The speaker mentioned these groups to illustrate that they know their roles and what they do for a living, which contrasts with the broader question of what the audience does and how they contribute to change.

What is the significance of Nathan Winograd's story in the talk?

Nathan Winograd's story is significant because it demonstrates how a determined individual can challenge the status quo and create a movement, in his case, to make San Francisco a no-kill city for animals.

What does the speaker mean by 'tribes' in the context of the talk?

In the context of the talk, 'tribes' refers to groups of people who share a common interest or passion and are connected by that, which can lead to significant social change when mobilized.

How does the speaker describe the shift from the 'factory cycle' to the 'TV idea' and then to 'tribes'?

The speaker describes the shift as a progression from relying on factories for mass production and change, to using mass media and advertising to push ideas, and finally to leading and connecting people through tribes to create movements.

What is the role of the internet in the formation of tribes according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that the internet has allowed for the creation of silos of interest, enabling people with niche interests to find and connect with each other, thus forming tribes.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of challenging the status quo?

The speaker emphasizes challenging the status quo because it is a necessary first step in creating change and leading movements that can transform society.

What is the significance of the light bulb being smashed at a Jewish wedding mentioned in the talk?

The smashed light bulb at a Jewish wedding symbolizes a change from before to after, which the speaker uses as a metaphor for the key moments of change in the way ideas are created and spread.

How does the speaker define leadership in the context of creating change?

In the context of creating change, the speaker defines leadership as the ability to connect people and ideas, challenge the status quo, and inspire a tribe to move towards a common goal.

What advice does the speaker give to the audience regarding creating a movement?

The speaker advises the audience to identify something worth changing, assemble a tribe around that idea, and lead them to create a movement that can effect significant change.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 The Unique Professions and the Quest for Change

The speaker begins by humorously recounting invitations to speak at unconventional events, such as for mascot performers and balloon animal creators, noting the clear understanding these professionals have about their roles. This segues into a reflection on the audience's own professions, questioning what they do and how they perceive their impact. The speaker suggests that the audience's work involves seeking to change elements of the status quo, aiming for significant and lasting improvements. The narrative then shifts to the story of Nathan Winograd, who revolutionized animal welfare by transforming San Francisco into a no-kill city, demonstrating the power of community engagement and passion over professional expertise alone.

05:01

🏭 From Factory to Tribes: Evolution of Leadership and Change

The speaker discusses the evolution of how change is brought about, starting with the industrial model where efficiency in factories led to significant societal changes. However, with the depletion of cheap labor and rapid technological advancements, this model faces challenges. The speaker then contrasts this with the mass marketing approach, which relied on advertising and a one-to-many communication style, but has also lost its effectiveness. The new paradigm introduced is the concept of 'tribes,' where like-minded individuals form communities around shared interests or passions. The internet has facilitated the formation of these tribes, enabling niche groups to connect and potentially drive change. The speaker emphasizes that it's not about forcing change but about connecting with those who are already eager to embrace it.

10:02

🚀 Leading by Connecting: The Power of Tribes in Movement Building

This section delves into the concept of 'tribes' as a driving force for change. The speaker illustrates how various leaders, from Bob Marley to Al Gore, have leveraged the power of tribes to lead movements, not by creating new desires but by connecting with existing ones. The speaker suggests that the key to leading a tribe is not charisma but the ability to challenge the status quo, build a culture, and connect people. Examples are given, such as CD Baby for independent musicians and Toms Shoes, which gives a pair to those in need for every pair sold. The speaker encourages the audience to consider their potential to lead by identifying a cause worth rallying around and assembling a tribe to amplify that cause.

15:03

🌟 The Call to Leadership: Challenging, Connecting, and Committing

The final paragraph emphasizes the qualities of effective leaders: challenging the status quo, building a culture, and connecting people. The speaker argues that charisma is not a prerequisite for leadership but a byproduct of it. Leaders are characterized by their commitment to the cause and the tribe they lead. The speaker concludes with a call to action, encouraging the audience to create a movement within 24 hours, underscoring the urgency and potential of collective action. The message is one of empowerment, suggesting that everyone has the capacity to lead and make a difference.

Keywords

💡Status Quo

The status quo refers to the current state of affairs or the existing state of things. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of challenging the status quo as a means to drive change. The video suggests that those who seek to make a difference are often the ones who identify something within the status quo that needs improvement or alteration. For instance, Nathan Winograd's efforts to transform San Francisco into a no-kill city for animals is an example of challenging the status quo.

💡Tribes

Tribes, in the context of the video, represent groups of people who share common interests, values, or passions. The speaker discusses how tribes, rather than traditional power structures like factories or mass media, are the new drivers of change. They can be physical or virtual communities that rally around a cause or idea. The video mentions various examples, such as the San Francisco SPCA community rallying around the no-kill movement, illustrating how tribes can effect significant societal changes.

💡Ideas

Ideas are the driving force behind change according to the video. The speaker argues that ideas are what motivate people to challenge the status quo and rally into tribes. Ideas are the catalysts for movements and can be spread and implemented through the collective efforts of tribes. An example from the script is the idea of a no-kill city, which was an idea that Nathan Winograd and his community turned into a reality, showcasing the power of an idea to transform society.

💡Leadership

Leadership, as discussed in the video, is not about traditional authority or hierarchy but about the ability to connect with and guide a tribe towards a shared goal. The speaker emphasizes that leadership in the context of tribes involves challenging the status quo, building a culture, and committing to a cause. An example is Al Gore's leadership in environmental issues, where he didn't act alone but inspired a movement of people to take action against climate change.

💡Movements

Movements are collective efforts by tribes to bring about change. The video suggests that movements are larger than any single individual and are powered by the shared passion and commitment of a tribe. The speaker uses the example of Al Gore's environmental movement, where thousands of people could give his presentation, amplifying the impact and reach of the message far beyond what one person could achieve.

💡Change Agents

Change agents are individuals who identify areas in need of change and work towards transforming them. In the video, the speaker suggests that everyone has the potential to be a change agent by finding something worth changing and assembling tribes to spread the idea. Nathan Winograd is portrayed as a change agent who took on the challenge of making San Francisco a no-kill city, demonstrating how an individual can lead significant societal change.

💡Passion

Passion is described in the video as a driving force that motivates individuals to join tribes and work towards a common goal. It is the emotional connection that people have with an idea or cause that propels them to action. The video implies that passion is a critical component in the formation of tribes and the success of movements, as it is what draws people to commit to a cause greater than themselves.

💡Connection

Connection refers to the bonds formed between individuals within a tribe who share a common interest or goal. The video emphasizes that people are drawn to tribes because they seek to connect with others who share their values and passions. The speaker argues that the desire for connection is a fundamental human need that can be leveraged to create powerful movements, as seen in the various examples of tribes rallying around different causes.

💡Innovation

Innovation in the video is presented as a key component of challenging the status quo and driving change. It is the process of introducing new ideas, methods, or products that disrupt the existing order. The speaker suggests that innovation often comes from those who are not satisfied with the status quo and are willing to think differently. The shift from factory-based change to idea-based change is an example of innovation in the approach to societal transformation.

💡Charisma

Charisma, as discussed in the video, is the personal magnetism that some leaders possess, which allows them to inspire and influence others. However, the speaker also points out that charisma is not a prerequisite for leadership; rather, it can be a byproduct of leading and committing to a cause. The video suggests that leaders who challenge the status quo and build connections often develop charisma through their actions and dedication.

Highlights

The speaker reflects on the certainty of professions like mascot performers and balloon animal creators, contrasting it with the less clear roles of those in the audience.

The idea that the audience's profession involves seeking to change the status quo and improve upon what exists.

The story of Nathan Winograd, who aimed to make San Francisco a no-kill city for animals, demonstrating the power of persistent change.

The initial resistance faced by Nathan and his boss from the SPCA and the broader community, highlighting the difficulty of challenging the norm.

The shift from a factory model of change to a more community-driven approach, as seen in San Francisco becoming a no-kill city.

The concept of 'tribes' as a means of leading and connecting people around ideas, which is a fundamental human desire.

The internet's role in creating silos of interest, allowing niche groups to form and connect.

The idea that tribes, not factories or money, are the driving force behind significant societal change.

The importance of finding and connecting with 'True Believers' who can help spread an idea or movement.

The Beatles as an example of leaders who didn't invent teenagers but chose to lead them, illustrating the concept of organizing a disconnected group with a shared yearning.

The necessity for leaders to challenge the status quo and build a culture or 'secret language' within their tribe.

The role of curiosity in leadership, as leaders connect people to one another and create a sense of community and belonging.

The example of TOMS Shoes, where every purchase results in a pair of shoes given to someone in need, showcasing how products can tell a story and create a movement.

The call to action for the audience to create a movement within 24 hours, emphasizing the urgency and potential for individual impact.

The characteristics of successful leaders, including challenging the status quo, building culture, showing curiosity, and committing to the cause.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

so sometimes I get invited to give weird

talks uh I got invited to speak to the

people who dress up in big stuffed

animal costumes to perform at sporting

events unfortunately I I couldn't go but

it got me thinking about the fact that

these guys at least most of them know

what it is that they do for a living

what they do is they dress up as stuffed

animals and entertain people at sporting

events shortly after that I got invited

to speak at the convention of the people

who make balloon animals and again I

couldn't go but it's a fascinating group

they make balloon animals there's a big

Schism between the ones who make gospel

animals and porn animals

but they do a lot of really cool stuff

with sometimes they get in trouble but

not often and the other thing about

these guys is they also know what they

do for a living they make balloon

animals but what do we do for a living

what exactly do the people watching this

do every day and I want to argue that

what we do is we try to change

everything that we try to find a piece

of the status quo something that bothers

us something that needs to be improved

something that's itching to be changed

and we change it and we try to make big

permanent important change but we don't

think about it that way and we haven't

spent a lot of time talking about what

that process is like and I've been

studying it for a couple years and I

want to share a couple stories with you

today first about a guy named Nathan

winegrad Nathan was the number two

person at the San Francisco SPCA and

what you may not know about the history

of the sbca is it was founded to kill

dogs and cats

cities gave them a charter to get rid of

the Stray animals on the street and

Destroy them and in a typical year 4

million dogs and cats were killed most

of them within 24 hours of being scooped

off the street Nathan and his boss saw

this and they could not tolerate it so

they set out to make San Francisco a no

kill City create an entire city where

every dog and cat unless it was Ill or

dangerous would be adopted did not

killed and everyone said it was

impossible Nathan and his boss went to

the city council to get a change in the

ordinance and people from s SPCA and

Humane shelters from around the country

flew to San Francisco to testify against

them to say it would hurt the movement

and it was

inhumane they persisted and Nathan went

directly to the community he connected

with people who cared about this

nonprofessionals people with passion and

within just a couple years San Francisco

became the first no kill

City running no deficit completely

supported by the community Nathan left

and went to Tomkins County New York a

place as different from San Francisco as

you can be and still be in the United

States and he did it again he went from

being a glorified dog catcher to

completely transforming the community

and then he went to North Carolina and

did it again and he went to Reno and he

did it again and when I think about what

Nathan did and when I think about people

here do I think about ideas and I think

about the idea that creating an idea

spreading an idea has a lot behind it

and I don't know if you've ever been to

a Jewish wedding but what they do is

they take a light bulb and um They smash

it now there's a bunch of reasons for

that and stories about it but one reason

is because it indicates a change from

before to after it's a moment in time

and I want to argue that we are living

through and are right at the key moment

of a change in the way ideas are created

and spread and implemented we started

with the factory idea that you could

change the whole world if you had an

efficient Factory that could turn out

change we then went to the TV idea that

said if you had a big enough mouthpiece

if you could get on TV enough times if

you could buy enough ads you could win

and now we're in this new model of

leadership where the way we make change

is not by using money or power to lever

a system but by Leading so let me talk

about the three Cycles the first one is

the factory cycle Henry Ford comes up

with a really cool idea it enables him

to hire men who used to get paid 50

cents a day and pay him $5 a day because

he's got an efficient enough Factory

well with that sort of Advantage you can

churn out a lot of cars you can make a

lot of change you can get roads built

you can change the fabric of an entire

country that the essence of what you're

doing is you need ever cheaper labor and

ever faster

machines and the problem we've run into

is we're running out of both ever

cheaper labor and ever faster

machines

so we shift gears for a minute and say I

know television avertising push push

take a good idea and push it on the

world I have a better mouse trap and if

I can just get enough money to tell

enough people I'll sell enough and you

can build an entire industry on that if

necessary you can put babies in your ads

if necessary you can use babies to sell

other stuff and if babies don't work you

can use

doctors but be careful because you don't

want to get an unfortunate Dr to

position when you're talking about one

thing instead of the

other this model requires you to act

like the the king like the person in the

front of the room throwing things to the

peons in the back that you are in charge

and you're going to tell people what to

do next that you know the quick little

diagram of it is you're up here and you

are pushing it out to the world this

Method mass marketing requires average

ideas because you're going to the masses

and plenty of

ads what we've done as spammers is tried

to hypnotize everyone into buying our

idea hypnotize everyone into donating to

our cause hypnotize everyone into voting

for our candidate and

unfortunately it doesn't work so well

anymore

either but there's good news around the

corner really good news I call it the

idea of

tribes what tribes are is a very simple

concept that goes back 50,000 years it's

it's about leading and connecting people

and ideas and it's something that people

have wanted forever lots of people are

used to having a spiritual tribe or a

church tribe having a work

tribe having a community tribe but now

thanks to the Internet thanks to the

explosion of mass media thanks to a lot

of other things that are bubbling

through our society around the world

tribes are everywhere the internet was

supposed to homogenize Everyone by

connecting us all instead what it's

allowed is silos of Interest so you got

the Red Hat Ladies over here you got the

red hat triathletes over there you got

the organized armies over here you got

the disorganized rebels over here you

got people in white hats making food and

people in white hats sailing boats the

point is that you can find Ukrainian

folk dancers and connect with them

because you want to be connected that

people on the fringes can find each

other connect and go somewhere every

town that has a volunteer fire

department understand understands this

way of

thinking

now it turns out this is a legitimate

non-photoshopped photo people I know who

are firemen told me that this is not

uncommon and that what firemen do to

Train sometimes is they take a house

that's going to be torn down and they

burn it down instead and practice

putting it out but they always stop and

take a picture so you know the pirate

tribe is a fascinating one they got

their own flag they got the eye patches

you can tell when you're running into

someone in a tribe and it turns out that

it's tribes not money not factories that

can change our world that can change

politics that can align large numbers of

people not CU you forc them to do

something against their will but because

they wanted to connect that what we do

for a living now all of us I think is

find something worth changing and then

assemble tribes that assemble tribes

that spread the idea and spread the idea

and it becomes something far bigger than

ourselves it becomes a

movement so when Al Gore set out to

change the world again he didn't do it

by himself and he didn't do it by buying

a lot of ads he did it by creating a

movement thousands of people around the

country who could give his presentation

for him because he can't be in 100 or

200 or 500 cities in each

night you don't need everyone what Kevin

Kelly has taught us is you just need I

don't know a thousand true fans a

thousand people who care enough that

they will get you the next round and the

next round and the next round that means

that the idea you create the product you

create the movement you create isn't for

everyone it's not a mass thing that's

not what this is about what it's about

instead is finding the True Believers

it's easy to look at what I've said so

far and say wait a minute I don't have

what it takes to be that kind of leader

so here are two leaders they don't have

a lot in

common they're about the same age but

that's about it what they did though is

each in their own way created a

different way of navigating your way

through technology so some people would

go out and get people to be on one team

and some people will get people to be on

the other team it also informs the

decisions you make when you make

products or Serv Services you know this

is one of my favorite devices but what a

shame that it's not organized to help

authors create movements what would

happen if when you're using your Kindle

you could see the comments and quotes

and notes from all the other people

reading the same book as you in that

moment or from your book group or from

your friends or from the circle you want

what would happen if authors or people

with ideas could use version two which

comes out on Monday and use it to

organize people who want to talk talk

about something now there's a million

things I could share with you about the

mechanics here but let me just try a

couple The Beatles did not invent

teenagers they merely decided to lead

them that most movements most leadership

they were doing is about finding a group

that's disconnected but already has a

yearning not persuading people to want

something they don't have yet when Diane

hats worked on the metrix her video that

spread all across the internet

about the way farm animals are treated

she didn't invent the idea of being a

vegan she didn't invent the idea of

caring about this issue but she helped

organize people and helped turn it into

a movement Ugo Chavez did not invent the

disaffected middle and lower class of

Venezuela he merely LED them Bob Marley

did not invent rosarians he just stepped

up and said follow me Derek cers

invented CD Baby which allowed

independent musicians to have a place to

sell their music without selling out to

the man to have a place to take the

mission they already wanted to go to and

connect with each other what all these

people have in common is that they are

Heretics that Heretics look at the

status quo and say this will not stand I

can't abide this status quo I am willing

to stand up and be counted and move

things forward I see what the status quo

is I don't like it that instead of

looking at all the little rules and

following each one of

them that instead of of being what I

call a sheep Walker somebody who's half

asleep following instructions keeping

their head down fitting in every once in

a while someone stands up and says not

me someone stands up and says this one's

important we need to organize around it

and not everyone will but you don't need

everyone you just need a few

people who will look at the rules

realize they make no sense and realize

how much they want to be connected so

Tony Shay does not run a shoe store zapo

isn't a shoe store zapo is the one the

only the best there ever was place for

people who are into shoes to find each

other to talk about their passion to

connect with people who care more about

customer service than making a nickel

tomorrow it can be something as prosaic

as shoes and something as complicated as

overthrowing a government it's exactly

the same behavior though what it

requires as Geraldine Carter has

discovered is to be able to say I can't

do this by myself but if I can get other

people to join my climate ride then

together we can get something that we

all want we just waiting for someone to

lead us Michelle Kaufman has pioneered

new ways of thinking about environmental

architecture she doesn't do it by quiet

L building one house at a time she does

it by telling a story to people who want

to hear it by connecting a tribe of

people who are desperate to be connected

to each other by Leading a

movement and making change and around

and around and around it goes so three

questions I'd offer you the first one is

who exactly are you

upsetting cuz if you're not upsetting

anyone you're not changing the Status

Quo the second question is who are you

connecting because for a lot of people

that's what they're in it for the

connections that are being made one to

the other and the third one is who are

you

leading because focusing on that part of

it not the mechanics of what you're

building but The Who and the leading

part is where change comes so you know

Blake at Tom shoes had a very simple

idea what would

happen if every time someone bought a

pair of these shoes I gave exactly the

same pair to someone who doesn't even

own a pair of shoes this is not the

story of how you get shelf space at

Neiman Marcus it's a story of a product

that tells a story and as you walk

around with this remarkable pair of

shoes and someone says what are those

you get to tell the story on Blake's

behalf on behalf of the people who got

the shoes and suddenly it's not one pair

of shoes or 100 Pair of Shoes it's tens

of thousands of pairs of shoes my friend

red Maxwell has spent the last 10 years

fighting against juvenile diabetes not

fighting the organization that's

fighting it fighting with them leading

them connecting them challenging the

status quo because it's important to him

and the people he surrounds himself with

need the connection they need the

leadership it makes a difference you

don't need permission from people to

lead them but in case you do here it is

they're waiting we're waiting for you to

show us where to go next so here's what

leaders have in common the first thing

is they challenge the status quo they

challenge what's currently there the

second thing is they build a culture a

secret language a seven-second handshake

a way of knowing that you're in or out

they have curiosity curiosity about the

people in the tribe curiosity about

Outsiders they're asking questions they

connect people to one another do you

know what people want more than anything

they want to be missed they want to be

missed the day they don't show up they

want to be missed when they're gone and

tribe leaders can do that and it's

fascinating because all tribe leaders

have Charisma but you don't need

Charisma to become a leader being a

leader gives you Charisma and if you

look and study the leaders who have

succeeded that's where Charisma comes

from from the leading and finally they

commit they commit to the cause they

commit to the tribe they commit to the

people who are there so I'd like you to

do something for me and I hope you'll

think about it before you reject it out

of hand what I want you to do it only

takes 24 hours is create a

movement something that matters start do

it we need it thank you very much I

appreciate

[Music]

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