Are you leading a Tribe?
This past year I have read a few books from Seth Godin. His book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
Tribes challenge the status quo. Building a business is going against the status quo of getting a good education, getting a good job, and living happily ever after. The status quo will resist and oppose you and your team. The tribe is your support. Leaders of tribes are never satisfied. They are constantly pushing, and leading to where the tribe needs to be.
Tribes are global. An online business is global. Community is now digital. The Internet made the world local. You can reach people from all over the world. I have noticed this with this website, Youth Ministry Media. It is amazing that a youth worker in British Columbia, Canada can write an article on technology and people will read it and then forward it on to others. I love the community that I interact with. I am thankful for all the friends I have met online in the last year due to this website.
Tribes have belief and faith. Building an online business takes belief and faith. You have to believe in the business, believe that you can build it, believe that others can build it, and have the faith to take action on those beliefs.
Tribes are a niche; they have a common belief, interest, or cause. Your target market is your niche. Understand their interests and needs. Show how your business can support their interests and meet their needs. Tailor your internet marketing to your niche. When I talk to other youth pastors who ask how they can do what I do, I tell them to find their niche. The first question is, What are you passionate about? Start there!
Tribes are about connection. People joined you in business because you attracted them (connected with them at some level). I don’t think we get this one. Youth ministry is a huge tribe. There is a common connection that we are trying to reach teenagers. A community is building online, and I want to be apart of that! I hope that when you come to this website you feel more connected that ever! I value your voice, and I love your input into the conversation. I am thankful that you are reading this right now.
How are you connecting with other youth workers? You are a part of this youth ministry tribe! Think about how you can make this tribe better? What in the next 24 hours can you do to make it a better tribe?
Here are some great quotes from the book:
“All that’s mission is you, and your vision and your passion”
“You Can’t have a tribe without a leader–and you can’t be a leader without a tribe”
“Life’s way to short to make mediocre stuff”
” Great leaders don’t want the attention, but they use it”
“With enough leverage, you can change your company, your industry, and the world ”
“Organizations that destroy the status quo win”
” How can I create something that critics will criticize?”
“The Secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.”
