1. Leading People & Understanding Culture
Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build Thriving Organizations
Dave Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright
Harper Collins 2008
Georgia Forestry Association Annual Conference July 25, 2016

2. What is a tribe?
Hello Test – would they stop, say “hello” and have a conversation if they saw each other on the sidewalk in another town/city?
Example: Small Companies, Divisions of Larger companies, Working groups within organizations, etc.
Group of people who know one another – reasonably well
… the “Hello on the street” test …

3. What makes some tribes more effective than others?
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” -- Peter Drucker

4. What is Culture?
The behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that a group accepts, generally without thinking about them, that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.
Defn: A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.
For our discussion, it is NOT: Ethnicity, Food, Dance, Music, etc.
It is however, the words we speak exhibit the characteristics of one of five tribal stages.

5. Just Listen Tribal Leadership
… focuses on the language and relationships within a culture/tribe
Just
Listen
Tribal Leadership does not address beliefs or attitudes
Tribal Leaders:
Listen to the words the exhibit which cultures exist in their tribes
Upgrade those tribes using specific leverage points

6. Tribal Stage ONE 2 % of Professionals “Life sucks!”
Despairingly hostile
Band together to get ahead in violent & unfair world
Most organizations do not hire or tolerate individuals operating at stage 1
Relationships = Alienated
Rage against the system
People are disarmingly hostile
Inmates
Gangs
Terrorists

7. Tribal Stage ONE Encourage them to: 2 % of Professionals
Go where the action is : Socialize, Group Functions, Meetings
Notice how life “works”
Cut ties with others using stage 1 language
2 % of Professionals
“Life sucks!”
Despairingly hostile
Band together to get ahead in violent & unfair world
Most organizations do not hire or tolerate individuals operating at stage 1
Relationships = Alienated
LEVERAGE POINTS
Go where the action is – Socialize
Notice how life works
Cut ties with others using stage 1 language

8. Tribal Stage TWO 25 % of Professionals
“My life sucks!” (but his/her life is great)
Sarcastic, resigned, passively antagonistic
Apathetic victims
No accountability to each other
People don’t feel they have an impact on strategy or direction
Relationships = Separate: loose collection of individuals
DMV & other Govt. agencies, most bureaucracies, the show “The Office”
I’d rather be Fishing, Golfing, shopping, I live for the weekend
Quietly sarcastic
Stand in the office door, watch everything unattached/unengaged
Wait for the latest “fad” to pass
Say things like, “we have tried this before, and it didn’t work”
Like to form clusters of sympathizers who quietly undermine and cut down ideas, suggestions, etc.
No innovation occurs here
Relationships are Dyadic (person to person)

9. Tribal Stage TWO Encourage them to: 25 % of Professionals
Make a friend
Establish relationships with people in Stage 3
Show them the value of their work
25 % of Professionals
“My life sucks!” (but his/her life is great)
Sarcastic, resigned, passively antagonistic
Apathetic victims
No accountability to each other
People don’t feel they have an impact on strategy or direction
Relationships = Separate: loose collection of individuals
LEVERAGE
Make a friend and encourage dyadic relationships
Build a relationship with someone in Stage 3
Show them their work does have an impact on the company
Point out where they do have strengths, and where those could be leveraged
Assign them projects that they can do in short order and do well

10. Tribal Stage THREE 49 % of Professionals
“I am Great!” (but you are not)
Knowledge is power, so hoard it
Winning is personal
Lone warriors
Always competing (internal & external)
Relationships = Dyadic 1-to-1
Healthcare, Legal professions, Universities, Sales, Real Estate
Knowledge is power, so hoard it – don’t share resource, connections or other contacts
Winning is personal – I have to win
Outwork/outthink the competition (peers) as individuals
Complain – don’t have enough time or support is incompetent
Collection of “lone warriors”
Organization becomes Wild Wild West
Individuals rarely speak to each other
Success is measured at individual level
Usually comprise of a Star with a supporting cast
Complain that they don’t enough time or support persons are competent
Organizations often feel dehumanizing
Society created these people – School, work, etc.

11. Tribal Stage THREE Encourage them to: 49 % of Professionals
Connect their contacts together
Work on bigger projects
Realize that real power comes from networks – not knowledge
49 % of Professionals
“I am Great!” (but you are not)
Knowledge is power, so hoard it
Winning is personal
Lone warriors
Always competing (internal & external)
Relationships – Dyadic 1-to-1
LEVERAGE
Encourage them to form triadic relationships
Have them be willing to introduce their contacts to other with shared values or interests
Encourage them to work on projects bigger then they can do alone
Assign work that requires partnership (preferably with someone who is already in Stage 4)
Point out that future success will only come from real partnership and collaboration
What has brought them to this point will not be enough to carry them forward in their own aspirations
Point out role models who have gone before them in this journey – connect them together
Help them realize that real power comes from networks – not knowledge
When complaints of time or incompetency arise – help them realize that they have crafted their lives so other can’t help
Show that their personal goals require getting more done then they can do alone
Encourage them to become more transparent – telling as much as possible rather than just what others need to know

12. Tribal Stage FOUR 22 % of Professionals
“We are Great!” (but they are not)
Tribe is excited to work together
Everyone seems happy, inspired, genuine
People make eye contact
Shared values and accepted strategies
Always an adversary
Relationships = Stable triads partnerships
wherein the tribe members are excited to work together for the benefit of the entire company
Everyone seems happy, inspired, & GENUINE
There is a “RIBAL PRIDE” – They claim membership in the tribe and are proud of it
They SHARE CORE VALUES
They hold each other ACCOUNTABLE
People make EYE CONTACT, speak to each other (even lesser known tribe members) in the hallways
Tribe still has an adversary (APPLE vs MICROSOFT) but it is usually external
Bigger the foe, the more powerful the tribe
Most organizations have DIVISIONS AT STAGE 4, but rarely entire companies

13. Tribal Stage FOUR Stabilize Stage FOUR by: 22 % of Professionals
Ensuring triads are based on same core values and strategies
Encouraging “stretch” projects for the team
Do NOT try to solve team problems
22 % of Professionals
“We are Great!” (but they are not)
Tribe is excited to work together
Everyone seems happy, inspired
People make eye contact
Shared values and accepted strategies
Always an adversary
Relationships = Stable triads/partnerships
LEVERAGE
Ensure that triad relationships are based on CORE VALUES, Advantages, Opportunity
Don’t let the relationship be a drag or something where you are constantly being pulled back into Stage 3
Encourage “Stretch” projects that require more reliance on the network – this strengthens the network/team and results in more productivity
Encourage them to take advantage (risk) of current“Market conditions” – make the most of opportunities now!
Recruit others who share these core values and the group’s strategy
Encourage them not to solve the group’s problems (this is Stage 3 thinking) – Rather force the group to find solutions collectively
Seek improvements opportunities (what should we stop doing, what should we start doing)

14. Tribal Stage FIVE Less than 2% of Professionals “Life is Great!”
Sense of destiny for greatness
Tribe believes it will make history
Competition is the impossible
Produce miraculous results/innovations
Can’t stay here 
Relationships = Highly networked teams
See the VALUE IN ALL PEOPLE, both internal to the team and external
Have a greater calling
Infinite Potential
Anticipate a global impact
Competition is the impossible, not another group
Pure leadership, vision, inspiration
Usually produces unexpected champions
Can only be sustained in short bursts
1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, 1983 NC State Basketball Program (Jim Valvano)
Hockey – “Miracle on Ice” USA beat Soviet union (won gold in 6 of last 7), and then Finland with amateurs & collegiate players – weren’t expected to be in the final four
1983 NC State – won last 7 of 9 games after being down with less than 1 minute left in the game (beat Houston Hakeem Olajuwon)
ZAPPOS
We're a service company that just happens to sell shoes."
Four C’s Clothing, Culture, Customer Service, Community
Tony Hsieh – 10 Core values
Deliver Wow Through Service
Embrace & Drive Change
Create Fun and A Little Wierdness
Be adventurous, creative, open minded
Pursue Learning & growth
Build Open & honest relationships with communication
Buld positive team and family spirit
Do more with less
Be Passionate and Determined
Be Humble
“a great brand is a story that never stops unfolding.”

15. Moving UP Cannot move organizations/groups – just individuals
Change the words people use (we>I)
Change the types of relationships people form
Establish Core Values
Identify the “Noble Cause”
Cast a Vision of what could be
Show individuals how their contributions DO matter
Do not try to skip stages
Once critical mass is established, the Tribe will take over
Move individuals one person at a time
Most orgs sit between stages 2-4
Battles often ensue between stages 3-4 (people in 3 trying to convince those moving to 4 are loosing power/influence, etc.)
Common Stage 2 comments – this has been tried before and it failed then – I’ll just wait it out
Stage 2 just sits on the sidelines while 3 & 4 fight it out, to see who wins
Nothing Changes
Starts with leadership language – encouraging others to speak/think differently
Follows by fostering relationships - networked over individual
You cannot move up alone – tribe eventually must support you
Shift in tribal culture – tribe will no longer tolerate lower stage

16. The Five Tribal Stages Most Productive Least Language Collaboration5
Life is Great! 4
We are Great! 3
I am Great! 2
My life Sucks! 1
Life Sucks! 5
Team 4
Partnership 3
Personal 2
Separate 1
Alienated 5 4 3 2 1
Five Tribal Stages
Characterized by the LANGUAGE, COLLABORATION & RELATIONSHIP of the individuals in the tribe
Individuals and groups OPERATE at various stages, but are not DEFINED by the stages
Can only “UPGRADE” individuals, not groups or tribes
Least productive/effective to Most productive/effective
Language
Collaboration
Relationships

18. Thanks!! Doug Britton, Ph.D. Agricultural Technology Program Manager
Georgia Tech Research Institute
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