If I was going to apply some of the concepts of the article an try to build an enduring tribal community.
I would first define what a tribal community is.
- Rooted in deeply held values and is not simply a fad or quickly passing trend.
- About moving toward something bigger than any one individual’s goal in the group.
- Founded on creating major change in the world, or centered on a deeply shared passion.
- Led not for self-interest, but for the highest good of the tribe as a whole.
- Nourished by a sense of meaning and living out a common purpose.
Next to build a strong tribe, we need to have a vision for ourself and others to rally around. The people in your tribe can only be as passionate about your cause as you are. Your vision has little to nothing to do with you. By putting a stake in the ground for what you believe in, you fashion a space for others to bond and connect around your core mission. There's a monologue from the movie the last castle that come to mind.
Take a look at a castle. Any castle. Now break down the key elements that make it a castle. They haven't changed in a thousand years. 1:
Location. A site on high ground that commands the territory as far as the eye can see. 2:
Protection. Big walls, walls strong enough to withstand a frontal attack. 3:
A garrison. Men who are trained and willing to kill. 4:
A flag. You tell your men you are soldiers and that's your flag. You tell them nobody takes our flag. And you raise that flag so it flies high where everyone can see it. Now you've got yourself a castle.
Perhaps the most uniting quality of your tribe is the shared purpose; what you are working toward as a whole, what you’re moving toward and what you do stand for. Without it you have nothing more than a hollow destination; a summit with no reason to climb it. People rally behind ideas, causes and missions they believe in. A common purpose connects all of what you do under a unifying banner. It gives context and meaning to each action. Even miniscule or mundane tasks can be seen as important and vital when connected to the contribution made to the bigger mission.
Working to survive. Grinding it out, paying the bills and going through the motions is simply a means to an end; a boring, lifeless means to survive.
Every tribe has identifiers that signify membership or alliance within it. Your tribe should be no different. Your tribe in similar ways is a team, a band of brothers united around a mission, passion or idea. They need to feel invested in the successes and failures of the tribe. Identifying, recruiting/raising members of your tribe is critical. A tribe starts with a vision, but is defined by the people in it. The people of your tribe are its lifeblood. Without them, you have nothing more than an empty house. Three different types of members are vital to the mission of your tribe.
FIELD RECRUITS.
These vital members make up the bedrock and core of your tribe. They do the important grassroots work of getting the message out there.
AMBASSADORS.
These are the champions and die-hard members of your tribe. They’ll stop at nothing to support the platform y'all stand for. You can usually spot ambassadors easily. They will naturally rise to the top. They’re commonly the people that don't shut up and are always ready with an opinion. They will do whatever it takes to support the tribe.
TORCHBEARERS.
These are the influencers and leaders in your community. They’re often people that have more clout and authority then you do. But if you can ally them to your cause, they will be huge supporters and vital members of your tribe. They’re the people that give you leverage. They’re people with existing platforms you can borrow.
The final thing is to create and cultivate a culture of engagement. A vision is nothing without forward motion and continual resolution to furthering the cause. In order to keep your tribe strong and thriving, you need to build a strong foundation built on constant interaction.
- Set the stage. Be vocal to your community about the importance of your message and that you need their help sharing it. Make it centered on the shared purpose, and not about you and your ego, and make them understand they’re doing something good by contributing to the cause.
- Regularly brief your tribe. Regularly update your tribe on new happenings in the community. What’s coming next? What milestones have you reached? What if any you have goals have you reached or made advancements in. Have you brought someone new onto the tribe? Being honest about what's going on, successes and failures.
- Share the spotlight. Highlight ambassadors and create a narrative around those who invest in the community. If certain people been with your tribe or helped your at the very beginning make them feel special let them know you aporeciate them and share that story with the others.
- Encourage engagement. Reward those that are highly active and engaged. The more you make people feel like their efforts are recognized, the more it encourages other to contribute as well.
- Teach via example. Set up expectations of engagement from the beginning, and continually reinforce them. Share stories about people in your tribe that are highly engaged and dedicated. In as many places as possible, try to both set up the expectation for engagement and continually reinforce expectations through holding yourself accountable.
- Get them invested. Make people feel a part of the key decisions that are made in your tribe. Make them feel involved in the story and the ongoing unfolding of your tribes story. People support things they feel like they’ve contributed to.
No tribe is built overnight. It takes dedication, hard work and long-term commitment to build anything truly great.
