Tribal Leadership

1. Tribes are the fundamental unit of human organization

Birds flock, fish school, people "tribe."

Tribes define human interaction. A tribe is a group of 20 to 150 people who would stop and say hello if they saw each other on the street. These natural groupings form the basis of all large human efforts, including companies, organizations, and societies. Tribes are more influential than teams, entire companies, or even superstar CEOs.

Tribal culture determines effectiveness. The culture of a tribe - its shared language, behaviors, and values - is the primary determinant of its performance. Tribes can exist at five different cultural stages, each with increasing levels of effectiveness:

• Stage One: "Life sucks" (despair)
• Stage Two: "My life sucks" (apathy)
• Stage Three: "I'm great" (egocentric)
• Stage Four: "We're great" (tribal pride)
• Stage Five: "Life is great" (innocent wonderment)

2. Five stages of tribal culture shape organizational effectiveness

Each time people speak, their words exhibit the characteristics of one of five tribal stages.

Language reveals culture. The words people use to describe themselves, their jobs, and others are a window into the tribe's cultural stage. Stage One language focuses on alienation and hostility. Stage Two expresses victimhood and disconnection. Stage Three centers on personal achievement and competition. Stage Four emphasizes shared values and group pride. Stage Five transcends competition to focus on limitless potential.

Culture impacts performance. Higher cultural stages correlate with increased effectiveness:

• Stage One: Rarely seen in workplace, characterized by despair and violence
• Stage Two: ~25% of workplace tribes, marked by apathy and low productivity
• Stage Three: ~49% of workplace tribes, driven by individual achievement
• Stage Four: ~22% of workplace tribes, leveraging teamwork and shared values
• Stage Five: <2% of workplace tribes, making history through innovation

3. Tribal Leaders upgrade cultures through language and relationships

Tribal Leaders focus their efforts on building the tribe—or, more precisely, upgrading the tribal culture.

Tribal Leaders transform cultures. Unlike traditional leaders who focus on strategy or operations, Tribal Leaders work to elevate the cultural stage of their tribes. They do this primarily through two mechanisms:

1. Language: Introducing and reinforcing language patterns of higher cultural stages
2. Relationships: Fostering connections based on shared values and mutual benefit

Cultural upgrades yield results. As tribes advance to higher cultural stages, they experience:

• Increased collaboration and innovation
• Higher employee engagement and retention
• Improved strategic execution
• Greater overall effectiveness and success

Tribal Leaders emerge as respected figures, often considered for top organizational roles due to their ability to create high-performing cultures.

4. Stage Three's "I'm great" mentality limits individual and organizational potential

Stage Three is both the biggest problem and the largest opportunity in organizations, as it is often the cause of Stage Two, and also the launching pad to Stage Four: Tribal Leadership.

Stage Three dominates professional culture. Accounting for nearly half of workplace tribes, Stage Three is characterized by:

• Individual achievement and competition
• Knowledge hoarding and political maneuvering
• Dyadic (two-person) relationships
• A sense of lone warriorship

Limitations of Stage Three:

• Burnout from constant competition
• Lack of true teamwork and collaboration
• Difficulty scaling beyond personal capacity
• Inability to create lasting organizational impact

Transitioning beyond Stage Three requires leaders to recognize its limitations and embrace a more collaborative, values-driven approach. This shift is crucial for unlocking greater individual and organizational potential.

5. The Tribal Leadership epiphany transforms leaders and cultures

When I got it, I got it, and then I was relentless.

The epiphany is a series of realizations:

1. Personal impact is less than imagined
2. The "I'm great" system can't fix systemic problems
3. There's a higher purpose beyond personal success

Transformative effects of the epiphany:

• Shift from "I" to "we" focused language
• Formation of triadic relationships based on shared values
• Pursuit of noble causes that benefit the entire tribe
• Increased effectiveness and influence as a leader

The epiphany often occurs through a combination of experiences, reflections, and exposure to Stage Four cultures. It marks the transition from Stage Three to Stage Four leadership, enabling leaders to create more collaborative and high-performing organizations.

6. Core values and noble causes fuel Stage Four tribes

Core values are "principles without which life wouldn't be worth living."

Values and causes create alignment. Stage Four tribes are united by:

1. Core values: Shared principles that guide behavior and decision-making
2. Noble causes: Aspirational goals that transcend individual or short-term interests

Identifying and leveraging values:

• Tell value-laden stories to elicit others' values
• Ask probing questions about what people are proud of
• Look for common threads in diverse individual values

Establishing a noble cause:

• Ask "in service of what?" to uncover deeper purpose
• Use the Big Four Questions: What's working? What's not? How can we improve? Anything else?
• Ensure the cause inspires and aligns the entire tribe

When values and noble causes are clear, they become powerful tools for decision-making, strategy, and building a cohesive tribal culture.

7. Triads are the building blocks of high-performing cultures

Triading is a key not only to stabilizing at Stage Four but to beginning the leap to Stage Five: "life is great."

Triads vs. dyads. Unlike Stage Three's dyadic relationships, Stage Four cultures are built on triads - three-way relationships based on shared values and mutual benefit.

Benefits of triads:

• Increased stability and conflict resolution
• Enhanced innovation and collaboration
• Scalability of relationships and influence

Creating effective triads:

1. Know the values and projects of everyone in your network
2. Use the "theory of small gifts" to build credibility
3. Introduce people based on shared values and mutual opportunities
4. Maintain a focus on how others can benefit each other

Triads create a networked structure that allows Stage Four cultures to scale and maintain their effectiveness even as they grow larger.

8. Tribal strategy aligns values, outcomes, assets, and behaviors

Simply put, the future of business is Stage Five—either frequent leaps into it from Stage Four (as several companies in this study are doing) or breaking new ground by finding stability at this level.

The Tribal Leadership Strategy Map consists of five interconnected components:

1. Core values and noble cause (center)
2. Outcomes: Desired results
3. Assets: Available resources
4. Behaviors: Specific actions
5. Three test questions to ensure alignment

Key principles of tribal strategy:

• Start with values and noble cause
• Set clear, measurable outcomes
• Identify all available assets, including "core assets" and "common ground"
• Define specific behaviors to achieve outcomes
• Use test questions to ensure strategy coherence

This approach ensures that strategy is aligned with tribal culture and values, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation and breakthrough results.

9. Stage Five cultures transcend competition to make history

At Stage Five, these people form ever-growing networks with anyone whose values resonate with their own.

Characteristics of Stage Five:

• Language focused on "life is great"
• No perceived competition or adversaries
• Mood of innocent wonderment
• Focus on making history and global impact

Achieving Stage Five:

• Build a stable Stage Four culture
• Align on resonant values that extend beyond the tribe
• Pursue history-making projects or innovations
• Engineer opportunities for breakthrough impact

While Stage Five cultures are rare and often temporary in corporate settings, they represent the highest level of tribal performance and the potential future of business. Leaders who can cultivate and sustain Stage Five cultures, even for short periods, position their organizations to make transformative contributions to their industries and the world.

Last updated: January 23, 2025