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Tribal leadership is about the psychology of individuals within a group. It conjects that tribes or groups have five stages (although in reality, it’s a spectrum), and individuals will exhibit behaviors, form specific types of relationships, and use particular language depending on which stage they are in. The stage people are in is indicative of the overall stage of the tribe, and tribes will fluctuate between stages as members move up and down between the tiers.
The main purpose of Tribal Leadership is to help leaders and readers identify which stage their tribe is in, and what are the leverage points they can use to move their tribe to the next stage. One of the core premises is that this is a guide to help leaders improve their organizations, and the way that is done is on the individual level. Tribal Leadership argues that the higher the tier of the tribe, the more productive and successful it will be.
Stage 1: Physical violence, Banding, and “Life Sucks” language
Tribe members feel alienated, and use “life sucks” language to complain about the unfairness of the world. People will band together or form gangs to get ahead. There may be physical violence, verbal abuse, theft, and/or vandalism.
Stage 2: Infighting, separation, and “My Life Sucks” language
People in this stage have trouble fitting into the tribe. There is victim mentality where outside forces are responsible for one’s failures. For example, it’s not uncommon to blame one’s manager, company policy, or another group.
Stage 3: Personal victories, dyadic relationships, and “I am great (and you’re not)” language
This stage is for people who are competent, committed, and do great work, but also feel that they are surrounded by people who are not great. Stage 3 individuals have confidence and achievements under their belt. There tends to be knowledge hoarding, politics, and a disappointment in others with members of this stage. These individuals will set up a lot of 1 on 1 relationships which help them maintain their knowledge and power, but it also takes a lot of mental energy. The language these individuals use tens to be focused around themselves.
There are good and bad aspects of stage three, and it’s possible for someone in stage 2 to move into stage 3 and become the exact person they were previously blaming.
Stage 4: Common values, triadic relationships, and “We are great” language
This stage values working together over competition. The tribe is happy. People are proud of what they are accomplishing and are united by values, goals, and a common enemy. People in stage 4 will set up triadic relationships which are between themselves and two other people. This spreads knowledge and work between members making individuals more effective and productive. Rather than using language revolving around “I” or “Me”, members of the tribe use “We” language as they’re forming genuine partnerships to solve problems and move forward toward common goals.
Stage 5: Improve the world, a united team, and “Life is great” language
Stage 5 is rare in tribes, and Tribal Leadership claims that organizations only temporarily enter stage 5 for periods of time before re-entering stage 4. In this stage, the tribe has moved past the need to beat a common enemy or fight for market share, and individuals are focussed on making a positive global impact based on their values. The language people use shows their belief that “Life is great.”
I am not a researcher nor qualified in this area, but I felt that there were some flaws in stage 5 and that it lacks a sufficient jump from stage 4. The authors didn’t find any stage 5 organizations that didn’t regress to stage 4 in their studies, and it could be because they were looking for the wrong indicators. In my mind, a stage 5 organization is one that merges with other tribes to make an impact on the world that neither would be able to accomplish on their own.
All in all, I found the book to be an interesting take on the psychology of individuals within a group and how their language, actions, and relationships affect the entire tribe. It’s interesting for me to reflect on where I view my own stage, and where I think my company / organization is at. However, I don’t feel like this book gave me the tools I need to move organizations from one stage to the next. ⭐⭐⭐