In a recent interview, the CEO of WD-40 explains why he refers to the company’s employees as a “tribe”:
“The way I see it, a team is something you play on once in a while, a tribe is a place you belong. For us, ‘tribalism’ includes a sense of belonging, communication, having shared values, and continually learning between elder tribal leaders and younger tribe members.”
Imagine creating a workplace where employees feel like they belong. It’s like creating a home where people want to go back to every day. Just imagine.
Many years ago, Seth Godin defined a tribe in these terms: People like us do things like this. The tribe defines what it does and how it does it. Then, it waits for like-minded people join, people drawn by a sense of belonging. A tribe will fiercely reject people who don’t belong. To create a tribe where people feel a sense of belonging, you also need to be exclusive.
Know who you are and who you want to be.
It’s an inside-out process.
The Ethical Leader 