THINKING OUTSIDE THE TRIBE

“Being human signifies, for each one of us, belonging to a class, a society, a country, a continent, and a civilization . . . Claude Levi-Strauss

Grand Portage Dancer by Pete Wuebker

We’ve been thinking about leaders and followers.  With the recent American election came the oft-repeated mantra of hope and change.  This was articulated by some as the promise of a reunification of polarized elements within American society.  Worthy objectives included a better relationship with other countries, and a collectivization of spirit that could be marshaled to do good in the world.  In order for this all to occur, leaders will need to bridge and encourage connectivity.  Good leaders will work well within their respective tribes, but we’ve seen that truly great leaders are those who are able to consort with disparate groups in order to achieve.  They need to be thinking outside the tribe.

There has been a wealth of information and theory put forth recently on the universality of tribal characteristics.  Seth Godin has written a powerful book, Tribes - We Need You to Lead Us, that addresses the dynamics of leadership in the context of tribalism.  Members of the related Triiibes network (of which I am one) recently put together an E-book that explained what we have learned about all things tribal (you can download it for free here).

Great leaders are emerging now who have passion and the skills needed to make a difference.  Bold, somewhat heretical moves will ensure not only a following, but innovative solutions.  While we all can’t be President of the United States (and who really would want to?), we can use the characteristics of a good tribal leader to make a difference in our own sphere of influence.  We can make better families, better companies, better communities, and better selves.  What do we need to consider?

Tribal instincts are strong.  Everyone wants to be part of something.  It’s in our genetic make-up.  People have tribed since they’ve walked the earth.  The affiliation with a tribe serves to appropriate the attributes of the tribe and use them to extend our own influence.  We take on tribal beliefs because they strengthen our own beliefs and address our fears by reducing them.

Tribal benefits are powerful. The benefit from tribes is that non-tribal members associate us with tribal characteristics and assign credibility to us.  The feeling of belonging has deep psychological benefits.  Belonging fosters fulfillment, stability, satisfaction, unity, and a sense of contribution.  We need to feel valued and important to others.

While anonymity is appealing in some ways, to be constantly anonymous devalues our self-worth. When someone acknowledges our humanity, even by something as simple as knowing what drink we like, it reinforces … our sense of belonging. - Melinda Messineo

Tribes can splinter when priorities compete. In humanity’s earliest days, we hunted for food.  Successful tribes had strong hunters, and non-hunting members sought the tribe with the most food.  Well-fed non-hunters drew pictures on the cave walls.  And, as a friend of ours recently put, “Then someone decided the pictures should hold the same value as the meat someone dragged home, and you had two extremely pissed off factions, because neither felt appreciated.”

Rival tribes co-exist in parallel. For three years within every U.S. election cycle, liberals and conservatives manage to cohabit within the country’s borders.  Then, just prior to the election, as the campaigns ramp up the intensity, an eruptive catalyst sparks a series of skirmishes.  Recently, the cease-fire has barely held post-election.  Political leaders within each tribe connect intermittently with the rival tribe, but a divide is in place.

Strong leaders appeal to more than one tribe. Webs of tribes coalesce and unite, then disassociate again.  Even when unification has occurred the need to separate and identify differences will still surface.  Like individual Protestant denominations that meet to make doctrinal decisions and define policy, individual tribes will insist on a degree of autonomy within a coalition.  We need to constantly know what we control and who the other is.

E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. - U.S. motto.

A greater, universal need has to emerge. Most of us were one after 9/11.  Many of us wistfully reference that unity of spirit during the weeks after the tragedy.  We united against a common threat, to right a wrong, to be part of something greater than ourselves.  The civil rights movement was born out of similar elements and took on a life of its own.

External pressure to unify will meet resistance. The movement toward unification must appear to come from within.  Pete and I learned this first-hand when we attempted to blend our families.  Our teens and other family members were heavily vested in the status quo.  Our wants did not translate into their needs.  Obama will exhort and cajole his skeptics, but unless they decide themselves that the affiliation is of benefit to them and their tribe, nothing will happen.  Should a unified effort be necessary to save the economy from more dire circumstances, or if there is a physical threat from outside our tribes, we’ll be all in.  Dwight D. Eisenhower knew that good leadership “is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”

Successful tribal blending will acknowledge differences and identify commonalities. What can Obama, or any other leader, do to unite different tribes?  A good leader will recognize that eliminating or minimizing tribal autonomy will not coerce cooperation.  The difference in political success between the two super-powers - the United States and the Soviet Union - couldn’t be more stark.  The Soviet Union failed because it held its consortium together by force, not by choice.  Our teenagers didn’t feel they had sufficient choices, and so they resisted blending.

What is universally held? Our Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident,”  and goes on to list them.  Good leaders identify what is held in common, and speak to those precepts.  Great leaders also realize individual needs and validate contributions with attention and rewards.  They know that playing it safe is often the greatest risk of all in a changing world.

What needs to happen? Bold, dynamic moves framed within the context of common precepts will ensure progress, and might spark greatness.  Abandon fear of failure and replace it with commitment.  Embrace risk as a positive factor.  Connections and ways of connecting need to be easy.  Faith and passion, with tenacity, will make progress.  Transparency will provide information and knowledge, and maintain authenticity.  Choose progress and do what’s right.

Tagged as: Leadership, Seth Godin, Social network, Tribe, Tribes-We Need You To Lead Us