The Art Reference: Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright

Today, I finished another book called Tribal Leadership. Actually, I finish listening to its e-book (MP3).

I believe it can be really useful for people who want to lead tribes and groups for a noble cause.

I hope you like my summary which emphazises the tribal stages, its descriptions and advises on leader's actions:

Book Highlights

> Tribal is the powerful vehicles. The culture is the trigger.

> Tribal more than 150 people.

> Exist more Stage 2 then Stage 3 in organizations.

> The essence of leadership is to get people to do things they know it is in their self interest.

> Most of all that are seeing like successful are just survivors.

> “If you wait first, you are last”

> A huge part of playing the game is to know how to phrase what you want

> “I teach, I do lectures, speeches, everyone applauds and feels really excited, but I after they leave no one is changed. Nothing changed in people’s lives. My impact is far less than I idealized. No action is done through the messages I gave. How can I motivate people to act?”

> Only in stage 5 the need of a competitive / adversary goes away

> Awareness comes before any action or feelings

> Coaching is to let the ideas create an awareness how things can be different for you and others

> “If you category any propose in the world it would be to help someone. What is the reason anyone is here. If you have to shortly define humanity, it would be it”

> Transformation begins with accepting things exactly as they are and as they are not

References mentioned in the Book

* Spiral Dynamics by Don Edward Beck and Christopher Cowan

* Geeks and Geezers by Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas

* The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (Maquiavel)

Tribal Stages

1. Mind-set for “Life Sucks”

Violence, aggression, isolated gangs, own rules, no loyalty, alienated, verbal abuse, vandalism, no point to value or morality, give in the reality of the situation, hostility, only see continue despair.

2. My Life Sucks

Passive antagonist, no passion, sarcasm, cluster of pathetic victims, avoid accountability, no innovation, no follow up on ideas, disconnected from organizations concerns, no initiative or passion, passive aggrieves behavior, no amount of time or effort would help the situation, this tribe is an unending well of unmet needs, rights, disappointments and repressed anger, offended behavior is not tolerated, apathy, do the minimum amount of work to get by, nothing changes, sarcasm, resignation, people blame lack of education, poor social network, lack of political skill, unsupportive spouse, it is contagious, complaint addicted, miserable.

3. I am great and You are not

Knowledge is power, winning is personal, outthink competitor in daily basis, ambition, skilled, don’t have enough time, individual basis, no amount of team players will make them a tribe, people engage easily on projects but when you observe closely they only think about themselves, focus on appearing smarter, no team concerns, personal interests, don’t bring people together, don’t share information.

Leverage point: Addictive hit they get from winning, do more talking, know more and disclose less than others mean power, use the info in the best interest, think they are in stage 4, focus on time management, obsession with self, lone ranger.

4. We are great and They are not

Eye contact, overall vibe is tribal pride, seek its own competitor, leader is the one with influence over the target, the bigger the fowl more powerful the tribe, common propose, adhoc parternership.

5. Life is great

Committed to shared values; do not tolerate certain behaviors, language evolve into infinity potential, innocent wonderment, miraculous innovations, vision, leadership and inspiration, don’t refer to the competition, commitment to the organization values are so important as their own, no work place conflict, the results make history.

Tribal Leader´s Actions

Stage 1

Never give up at anyone
Listen & Listen carefully
Understand the others perspective
Get them evolved in clubs with mentor and professors
Give up the language and practices of a Tribe and adopt the other

Leverage point:

Encourage to go where the action is (groups, meeting, societies, associations)
Encourage to see and know ways where life works (example, inspiration)
Encourage to cut ties to the people in Tribe Stage 1.

Stage 2

You can’t attack or try to make better the subject of their complaints. They will just find others.
Talk the language of the stage above
Explain you see potential in the person
Spot the one that want to be different and work one-by-one
Build trust in your intentions and confidence in the abilities
Spend time directing with specific actions

Leverage points:

1.Encourage to establish dyadic (two person relationship)

2.Encourage to establish relationship in Stage

3. In one-o-one session show areas of competencies with positive tone

Assign project that he does well in a short period of time

Stage 3

Tribal success is more important than personal success
Create blind spots to make people
Be hungry for tool, tips and techniques.
Values are not personal but collective
Break the illusion of “We are great”
Learn business but without the ME focus
Have or introduce vision and values
Learn and get a top degree program
Find a mentor at stage 4

Leverage points:

Encourage him to be a part of projects bigger than anything he can do alone.
Ensure or assign him works that require partnership
Point out that his success came from his own level of commitment, but show him that what brought him to this point will not be enough to move him forward. He will need another mind-set and style.
Describe role model ideals in the company (# of triads in the network, successful that comes from groups, collective mind set)
Tell stories of the time you made the transition from stage 3 to stage 4
Coach him that real power does not come from knowledge but from networks. Show him that there is much leverage in wisdom than from information.
Help him to know that his goals require help from other people
Encourage him to overcommunicate.
Encourage him to communicate with transparency

You will decide through your goal settings if you need to go from Stage 3 (win) to Stage 4 (higher impact).

>>>>>>>>>>//<<<<<<<<<<<

Epiphany (Awakening Moment)

Ø “So now, what are you going to do?”

The turning point in the life, professionally and personally, with no turning back.

Epiphany #1: Soul searching

Epiphany #2: How can I fix this? (Awareness of a need of different way of operation)

Epiphany #3: System of Stage 3 develops no true followers, hence no legacy. When you operate in stage 4 you can have individual legacy.

Epiphany #4: Realizes the impact he aims is not

Epiphany #5: Realizes the mind-set “I, me and my system” does not work

Epiphany #6: View the world and the others in the eyes of others

Epiphany #7: The situation can not be fixed, but abandoned.

Epiphany #8: What’s the real goal? Make impact in a larger group of people.

The ego hit of an accomplishment is not the same as success itself. His attention shifts n to what is really important to his and almost always the goal is tribal.

Epiphany #9: The more the group succeeds, the more I succeed.

Epiphany #10: Speak for the tribe, in the name of the tribe.

>>>>>>>>>>//<<<<<<<<<<<

Stage 4 – “I am because we are”

Concepts:

Today I share with you, because tomorrow you will share with me.

* Ubuntu: is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of southern Africa. Ubuntu is seen as a classical African concept meaning "I am what I am because of who we all are."

2. Innovation, communication, fun, collaboration

3. A company is only as strong as the culture of its tribes.

* Example company: IDEO – Design Consulting

4. Stage 4 requires a different mind-set and behavior

5. The tribes become before profits and relationships before the business models.

6. A small group of people can be a seed group

7. Everyone seems equals

8. The hard part is to start a tribal

9. The business has to truly measure its values.

10. The physical space/design should match the values. The future of corporate commercial architecture must hold hands with the future of collaborative culture.

12. Clients should be partners.

13. Start of with a common set of values (communication, ethics, competition, quality, collaboration, great value).

14. Pride ties actions to success

15. Values: Communication, Collaboration, partnership, innovation, making a difference, dignity, respect and learning Aiming to reach the Accomplishment.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Leader should:

Show example when applying the rules to everyone. All rules should work in advance of the tribe.
Tribal leader don’t back down from difficult decisions. Stick to the principles.
Focus on we give the credit to others as a collaborator.
Encourage wild ideas.
Stay focused
Be visual
Should have a tribal antenna – find people
Focus com collective success
Identify core values and Align on a noble cause
Hire and promote according to the values, not only skills.
Make the values tangible.
Find values that unit people to reach a common identity.
Talk about the values with employers; align them with the practices of the companies.
Tribal reactions indicate the moment when the values become real.
Find expressions of core values to achieve outcomes.
The moment of truth: living values is not easy. Commitment to values requires courage.
Find a noble cause to unite the values. It can capture the Tribal’s ultimate aspirations.
Everyone got to win with the values.
A noble cause represents the earning of a tribal, technique accuracy isn’t important. Most people align on the Vision. A noble cause is a pronouncement of a future state that the tribal bring about though its coordinated action. It’s bigger than what one person can do alone. It requires people best efforts and passion. Even if people fail, the noble cause is worth the effort.
To create a noble cause you should keep asking: in service of what are we working, are we making an effort? & ask the big four questions:

1 What is working well?

2 What’s not working?

3 What can we do to makes things that are not working work?

4 Is there something else?

21. On going communication is crucial for increasing values among employers.

22. Oil Change: do a mid-way check on the values. Always talk about it and let others talk.

23. YOU should renew life! “We renew life!” should be the theme.

24. Tribal leaders´ description: Using works to get the best out of other people and changing everything.

25. A noble cause and values should be re-visited once a year.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Triads and Networking

Triads: three people relationship.
Ability to Triads: Drive, endless energy, vision for the business, focus on integrity and values to create business relationship between two people based on core values and mutual self interest.
Have two people beside of you all the times in events, talk to them both at the same time, have the ability to link, build and deepen their relationship. Introduce people in two levels: resume issues (why do they need to meet each other, what can they profit from this network) and discuss what makes each person important (what are their core values?). The actions should build triads which results on a good reputation as magnetic person for business.
Once the tribe gets bigger than 150 people it divides itself into two tribes, each filled with triads.

Triad´s Anathomy

It is formed by three people, each forming a triangle with each leg of the structure responsible for quality of the relationship with the other two parts.
Use triads to resolve problems. Remind employers that they should be in the same path driven by shared values. This would solve any disagreement.
The important thing is to remind the parts the essential: team comes first. “What is best for the team here?” Every decision should take this in consideration.
Not only forming and nurturing triads save the tribal leader time, they encourage the level of followership that is unimaginable in stage 3.
Triads bring a lot of support to help on your efforts and results. You are not alone!
Triads have three distinct characteristics: Stability, Innovation and Scalatibily.
LinkedIn is one example of triads: employer, employee and program.
Introducing new person in one group automatically makes the group check out the benefits of this introduction. All parts should profit.
Scaling tribal effectiveness within Triads: A leader should set the tone, brings volunteers, lead the people doing the work and let the tribe grown on its own. The applicants pull expands geometrically as the enthusiasm of the prospects. People should only see a blizzard of networking activity bringing together experts from different fields. Everyone contributing ideas and leveraging off one another’s wisdom. Leaders should be match makers.
Know the values, current projects, aspirations, interest of each person in your tribe. Introduce people on both levels (this is possible only by knowing each person, take your time and learn about people – there are no short cuts on that!). Use the theory of small gifts or have the credibility with each person. Form triads bring two people together on the basis of their current projects and shared values. Pass through stage 3. Be great at someone world class if possible. Be authentic.
Triad is the key for stabilizing stage 4 and to lip to stage 5.

Stage 5 – “Life is great”

Concepts

No evidence of tribal pride, but of innocent wonderment.
Life is great language used devoid by any competitor. Not that the competitor does not exists, but it doesn’t matter.
Values that are important in stage 4, are vital in stage 5, life giving.
The noble cause is the compass of stage 5.
World Call: New appreciation of the ability to contribute to global concerns and all inclusive view. Improve the wellbeing of clients and organizations and improve the life of the 6 billion people on earth.
Stage 5 uses: noble cause, set of shared values, global brand, top talent, highly nimble network tribe, behaviors, and triads.
The emergency of a stage 5 tribe is so unfamiliar to most of us that we go to religious or spiritual words on describing it. “Wow!” Moment.
Culture and strategic performance come together.
A tribe should only go to stage 5 if it is stable at stage 4 and it has the business results to keep it there.
Tribes like that are examples to others.
The future of business if stage 5. The challenge is to