Tribes by Seth Godin is a short, poignant book about leadership.
But it's about much more than the nuts-and-bolts of running an organization or habits of effective leaders.
It's a book about people and movements and the power of our words and actions to make an impact on the masses.
You can find tribes of people everywhere, congregating around compelling ideas and causes.
You find them at Grateful Dead concerts. And at Star Trek conventions. You even find them at the shopping mall.
Tribes are everywhere…
What's missing, though, are leaders.
Now is the best time for someone who has never led before to step into the limelight and exercise influence.
Never has it been easier to motivate others and initiate new movements as it is now.
With the Internet serving as a convenient channel for distribution and communication, many industries have lost the necessity of inter-mediators. No more middlemen. Just leaders and their tribes.
It's a great time to become a leader
In the 21st century, anyone can publish a blog, start a social network, or launch an business — all with little to no cost. It's easy.
So why doesn't everyone do it? Because it requires courage to start. And most people would rather sit on the sidelines than get in the game. (Let's face it: sometimes, the game gets a little grisly.)
Why shouldn't you get in on the new leadership?
You have all the tools you need. Your voice has the power to influence others like you wouldn't believe.
Where does it begin? With words. With how you speak and communicate — that's where real tribe-building begins. I've learned a lot about how writing can be an important part of leadership through this book.
Godin begins Tribes by telling how he used a bi-weekly print newsletter to get coworkers to help him out with an overwhelming project. Through simply telling stories and casting vision over and over again, he won nearly the entire organization to his cause.
While he was technically the only one assigned to the job, his newsletter compelled others to volunteer and to work after hours in order to be able to help.
Did you catch that?
They were dying to lend a hand. They couldn't stand being left out of something so monumental, so innovative and ground-breaking. And it was Godin's writing that captured their attention and cast the vision for a higher purpose.
Writing can be a powerful motivator and leadership tool, when used well. As you wield a pen in your hand or sit at the keyboard, you have enormous potential. And responsibility. To influence people. To change lives. To do work that matters.
Are you using it? Or squandering it?
Does your writing motivate people to do new and exciting things? How are you leading by writing? Share in the comments.