Just one-third of the way through Seth Godin’s newest book, Tribes and – as expected – I’m enjoying and learning greatly from it.
On page 50 he writes a very Go-Giver-ish statement about the attitude of a leader:
“It’s easy to hesitate when confronted with the feeling that maybe you’re getting too much attention. Great leaders are able to reflect the light onto their teams, their tribes. Great leaders don’t want the attention, but they use it. The use it to unite the tribe and to reinforce its sense of purpose.”
Beautiful!
Reminds me of another of my favorite books, Good to Great, by Jim Collins. In that book, the author discusses the difference between what he calls Level 4 and Level 5 leaders. Both are blessed with superb smarts, skills and the ability to lead. The difference is that for Level 4 leaders, “it” is often about themselves and their own glory. For Level 5 leaders, “it” is all about the team.
Top leaders give away credit (much of which is legitimately theirs) and accept blame that often does not belong to them. Yet they are more loved and respected (and typically more successful) than those who take the other route.
Abraham Lincoln is first credited (as far as I know) with the saying, “It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
As the leader of your tribe, you’ll get plenty of attention but, like the true Go-Giver and leader you are . . . you’ll use it to reflect the light.
Who are your favorite Tribal Leaders?
Guys,
I am a huge fan of The Go-Giver.
For over 15 years I’ve been involved in Corporate sales and marketing and social media. For the past two I’ve been working with small non-profits on their marketing strategies – helping them “sell” themselves.
Two points that I’ve learned in my personal and professional life, and that I’m trying to impart into the business plans of these non-profts:
Give way more value than the price paid.
Practice enlightened self-interest.
Thanks again,
John
That’s awesome, John. Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful feedback!