Tribes by Seth Godin: Writers Can Be Leaders

You should read Seth Godin’s new book Tribes. It’s a book about leadership, but it’s also much more than that. It’s a book about the power of the written word and how that can make an impact on the masses.

In Tribes, Godin’s basic point is that you can find tribes of people everywhere, congregating around compelling ideas and causes. What is missing in many of these tribes, however, is a leader.

He argues that now is the best time for someone who has never led before to step into the limelight and exercise influence. Never has it been easier to motivate others and initiate new movements as it is now, with the web serving as a convenient channel for distribution and communication.

It’s a great time to become a leader.

In the 21st century, anyone can publish a blog, start a social network, or launch an e-business with little to no cost. So, why shouldn’t these new leaders be writers? They have the tools and the voice to influence like few can.

I’ve learned a lot about how writing can be an important part of leadership through this book. Godin begins Tribes by telling how he used a bi-weekly print newsletter to get coworkers to help him out with an overwhelming project. Through simply telling stories and casting vision over and over again, he won nearly the entire organization to his cause.

While Godin was technically the only one assigned to the job, his newsletter compelled others to volunteer and to work after hours in order to be able to help.

Did you catch that? They were dying to lend a hand. They couldn’t stand being left out of something so monumental, so innovative and ground-breaking. And it was Godin’s writing that captured their attention and cast the vision for a higher purpose.

Writing can be a powerful motivator and leadership tool, when used well, as Seth Godin demonstrated in Tribes. As you wield a pen in your hand or sit at the keyboard, you have an enormous potential to influence people. Are you realizing it?

Does your writing motivate people to do new and exciting things? How are you leading by writing?

---