49 pages 1 hour read

Seth Godin

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2008

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Part 4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 4 Summary

Part 4 covers sections: “The Balloon Factory and the Unicorn,” “Leaders Are Generous,” “Don’t Forget the Big Mac and the Microwave Oven,” “Climbing Rocks,” “Who Settles?,” “Fear, Faith, and Religion,” Religion Works Great When It Amplifies Faith,” “Challenge Religion and People Wonder if You’re Challenging Their Faith,” “Switching Religions Without Giving Up Faith,” “Faith Is What You Do,” “A Word for it,” “Over-the-Top Underdog Bravery,” “The Easiest Thing,” “Take the Follow,” “The Difference Between Things That Happen to You and Things You Do,” “Permeability,” “Leaders Go First,” “Watching the Music Business Die,” “Don’t Panic When the New Business Model Isn’t as ‘Clean’ as the Old One,” and “Sheepwalking”

Godin likens leaders to unicorns and the status quo to a balloon factory. The rare mythological animal (and the threat of its pointed horn) completely disrupts the stability, monotony, and predictability of the factory’s processes. This is the impact a leader can have—one individual can be the unicorn that turns uniformity on its head. A leader’s tremendous impact doesn’t require their ostentatiousness, egomania, or self-glory; in fact, the reverse is true. Leaders are more effective when they give. Generosity is conveyed through attitude, and a tribe can sense the intentions of leaders.