The release date for the English version of 'Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us' by
Seth Godin is Oct 2008. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
Any kind of organization, no matter how big or little, that is united by a common goal, a leader, or a concept is called a tribe. Humans have been searching for tribes for millions of years, whether they be religious, ethnic, political, economic, or even musical (just think of the Deadheads). It is who we are.
Geographical, financial, and temporal boundaries no longer exist thanks to the Internet. Already-existing tribes are becoming larger thanks to all those blogs and social networking sites. All the same, they're creating an enormous number of new tribes: communities of ten, ten thousand, or ten million people who are passionate about anything, whether it a political campaign, an innovative approach to combating global warming, or their iPhones. The crucial question is thus: Who will guide us?
The Web is an incredible tool, but it cannot exercise leadership. That still has to come from individuals, from people who share your love for a certain subject. Anyone who want to change the world now has the means at her disposal thanks to the growth of tribes.
Don't believe that only certain individuals can be leaders—leaders come in unexpected shapes and sizes. Think about Joel Spolsky and his global group of very intelligent but fearsome software developers. Or Gary Vaynerhuck, the wine expert who has a passionate fan base. While Mich Mathews, a vice president at Microsoft, manages her internal tribe of marketers from her cube in Seattle, Chris Sharma leads a tribe of rock climbers up impossibly steep cliff faces. Their eagerness to take the lead, their capacity to unite a tribe, and their ambition to make changes are all that unites them.
If you pass up this chance, you run the danger of becoming a "sheepwalker"—someone who fights for the status quo and never considers whether obedience is beneficial to you or your company. These days, sheepwalkers are not very successful.
Tribes will force you to consider—and consider carefully—the possibilities of leading coworkers, clients, investors, believers, hobbies, or readers. Though not simple, it is simpler than you may imagine.