Tribe Vibes: How to Grow Empathy on Your Team
Human beings are tribal by nature. Our need to belong far outweighs many things in life. So, we naturally split into tribes.
As Seth Godin puts it, “a tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.”
I have the pleasure of working closely with Beyonce, Denzel Washington, Taylor Swift, and Celine Dion every day.
Well, not exactly. :)
These incredibly famous people just happen to have the same personality types as members of my company’s tribe.
What tribe(s) are you a member of?
Perhaps you are a member of a sports tribe — running marathons around the world. Or you are part of a religious tribe. It’s possible you are part of the global tribe that enjoys watching Game of Thrones (I am a member). Maybe you are also like me and enjoy membership in an exciting startup tribe, trying to change the world.
“Humans rule the [planet] because we are the only animal that can cooperate flexibly in large numbers. We can create mass cooperation networks, in which thousands and millions of complete strangers work together towards common goals,” says Yuval Harari, author of Sapiens.
Well, this cooperation does not come naturally.
In fact, many startups have failed because they couldn’t ignite the fire of tribalism to create successful mass cooperation. They were plagued by siloed organizations, internal politics, and distrust. They did not pay attention to the importance of creating a healthy tribe.
As Patrick Lencioni, author of The Advantage puts it, “the single greatest advantage any company can achieve is organizational health. Yet it is ignored by most leaders even though it is simple, free, and available to anyone who wants it.”
I believe the key to building successful teams is inviting members to connect to a common vision that is bigger than themselves. Then, getting them to trust one another. And, finally, creating a culture that allows them to do what comes naturally — form a tribe.
