How to Lead a “Tribe”
Published: December 03, 2008
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One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “how can I increase the awareness of _______ (my church, my company, my blog) through social networking? How can I get an online community like yours?”
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Usually I’ll give some general advice anyone can Google about consistency, quality and interaction and end with a polite cyber high-five.
Go get ‘em tiger.
As I was thinking through it though, I realized not everyone should lead a tribe. I’m not saying you have to have everything figured out to do it, nor am I saying that every tribe is built online. But to lead a tribe in the most unclouded of ways, you’ve got to start off on the right foot.
So, without further adieu, here is the first tidbit of how to lead a tribe.
Ask yourself if you’re ready.
How do you know? Try working through these questions to get you started.
- Do you have a mission to accomplish? Or is your mission to help others propel a cause forward?
- Do you want to increase your spotlight? Or do you want to increase the spotlight on a specific cause, or group of people?
- Do you feel you have a lot to contribute? Or are you ready to share ideas and provide a space for others to contribute?
- Are you wanting to take full responsibility? Or have you realized your responsibility is to inspire and empower a group of people to participate?
Are you focused on utilizing your strengths to accomplish a goal? Or are you willing to incorporate the strengths and insight of others?
Obviously, these questions aren’t fully defining. Neither are the first questions “wrong” and the second questions “right.” But the second questions are more tribal in nature, and if you’re only able to answer “yes” to the first questions, you might not be ready to lead a tribe just yet.
To play off the old adage, there is an “I” in the word “tribes” - but notice it’s right in the middle, surrounded by all the other letters.
Without the others, the tribe couldn’t be.
Are you in a position to lead?
Anne Jackson serves on staff at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Her book, Mad Church Disease, will be available in February 2009. Anne’s articles have been published in a variety of print and online magazines, and her blog, FlowerDust.net, is ranked as one of the top blogs in Christian Leadership. She is an advocate for Compassion International, a down-to-earth communicator, and an all around dreamer.
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