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Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Seth Godin (Author, Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)
4.4 out of 5 stars 4,036 ratings
A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It's our nature.

Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. All those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger. But more important, they're enabling countless new tribes to be born - groups of ten or ten thousand or ten million who care about their iPhones, or a political campaign, or a new way to fight global warming.

And so the key question: Who is going to lead us?

The Web can do amazing things, but it can't provide leadership. That still has to come from individuals - people just like you who have a passion about something. The explosion in tribes means that anyone who wants to make a difference now has the tools at her fingertips.

If you think leadership is for other people, think again - leaders come in surprising packages. Consider Joel Spolsky and his international tribe of scary-smart software engineers. Or Gary Vaynerhuck, a wine expert with a devoted following of enthusiasts. Chris Sharma leads a tribe of rock climbers up impossible cliff faces, while Mich Mathews, a VP at Microsoft, runs her internal tribe of marketers from her cube in Seattle. All they have in common is the desire to change things, the ability to connect a tribe, and the willingness to lead.

If you ignore this opportunity, you risk turning into a "sheepwalker" - someone who fights to protect the status quo at all costs, never asking if obedience is doing you (or your organization) any good. Sheepwalkers don't do very well these days.

Tribes will make you think (really think) about the opportunities in leading your fellow employees, customers, investors, believers, hobbyists, or readers....It's not easy, but it's easier than you think.

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  1. Listening Length
    3 hours and 42 minutes
  2. Author
    Seth Godin
  3. Narrator
    Seth Godin
  4. Audible release date
    October 16, 2008
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Audible Studios
  7. ASIN
    B001IMTKUK
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 3 hours and 42 minutes
Author Seth Godin
Narrator Seth Godin
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 16, 2008
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B001IMTKUK
Best Sellers Rank #11,919 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#39 in Organizational Behavior (Audible Books & Originals)
#104 in Business Processes & Infrastructure
#179 in Leadership (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4,036 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book incredibly insightful on leadership and appreciate its readability as a quick read. The style receives positive feedback for its beauty in simplicity, and customers enjoy the storytelling approach, with one review noting how it converts experiences into cohesive "a-ha" moments. While some customers find the content fundamentally true, others note the lack of research. The book's functionality receives positive feedback, with one customer mentioning how it helps understand how tribes operate.

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264 customers mention "Insight"252 positive12 negative

Customers find the book highly insightful, describing it as a great source of inspiration that helps crystallize thoughts and provides an excellent way to change one's approach to leadership.

"...It's going to make you excited about following your heart, about following your passions, and showing you the absolute need for you to be a leader..." Read more

"...For all of these great insights and succinctly articulating the way the world is changing around us, and for effectively inspiring us to become..." Read more

"...to adapt to change, then you will find some inspiration and very helpful insights. As Seth says, "You get to make the choice."..." Read more

"Tribes, by Seth Godin, is a short, motivational book that ultimately attempts to encourage its readers to be the leaders they were born to be...." Read more

176 customers mention "Readability"161 positive15 negative

Customers find the book engaging and easy to read, with one customer noting it reads like a series of related blog posts.

"I loved the book so much I wrote this article... [...] --- My name is Gregory Cox, and I am a Heretic...." Read more

"...If being part of change speaks to you, then this book would be a great read. If you are looking for a step by step manual, look elsewhere." Read more

"...To me, Tribes seems very conversational. It is an easy-to-read, motivational book about standing up for something you believe in and making a..." Read more

"...There are no chapters--just quick-reading, page-turning marketing/leadership insights: * Leadership Discomfort: "Leadership is scarce because..." Read more

24 customers mention "Story quality"21 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in the book, appreciating the art of storytelling, with one customer highlighting how the author converted experiences into cohesive "a-ha" moments.

"...Godin uses very realistic and relatable examples to prove how tribes exist in everyday life; these examples range far and wide and can be applicable..." Read more

"...marked up more than twenty -- Tribes reads like a dizzying rush of adrenalized common sense; you can almost imagine Godin pounded it out over one..." Read more

"...Depending on personality, one may find that the small anecdotes, the switching between ideas, the ease of reading, and the pace in which he floats..." Read more

"...Their sizes are basically the same, both are full of useful stories and anecdotes; the writing is broken down into bite size pieces and it's..." Read more

17 customers mention "Style"12 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style, noting its beauty in simplicity and perfect layout.

"...his statements, and his tips for success, while brief, do come across as well thought out...." Read more

"...This book was laid out perfectly for that, short sections that you can get through pretty quick in case you need to leave the book to do something...." Read more

"...The `chapters' are miniature and they resemble blurbs or thoughts instead of book chapters...." Read more

"...Overall, I appreciate Godin's conversational voice and raw style...." Read more

8 customers mention "Personality"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's personality, with one review noting how it encourages readers to be unabashedly individual.

"...book, Tribes, to the ideal business book that is "easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great reading..." Read more

"...is not as simple as having followers; it is a complex and multi-faceted thing...." Read more

"...It provided great examples of people who have stood out from the crowd and stepped into leadership...." Read more

"...He's very insightful, definitely an original, and pretty humorous at times...." Read more

5 customers mention "Functionality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the functionality of the book positive, with one mentioning it works perfectly for Tribes, while another notes it helps better understand how tribes operate.

"...expect to receive essentially as much as they give... Clubs work well in modern societies because these societies view the autonomous individual as..." Read more

"...And they need you to lead them. He examines how the best tribes operate, no matter how big or small they may be...." Read more

"Seth Godin's straightforward style works perfectly for Tribes. Leading is not a recipe, but rather a production based on individual tastes...." Read more

"...For those wanting to better understand how tribes work, grow, spread, and how leading them happens, then this could be a great next read for you." Read more

43 customers mention "Ease of use"19 positive24 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's ease of use, with some finding it simple while others note its lack of structure and step-by-step guidance.

"...The book is short and easy to read, but for some the lack of structure will pose a problem...." Read more

"...It's neither a dry how-to manual nor cliched motivational tract, but rather an enthusiastic endorsement of standing up and taking the..." Read more

"...If that is the intention of the book, it fails miserably. There is no how-to, there is no research - just mere anecdotes of nobodys who one day..." Read more

"...read but the lessons are profound, easy to digest and easy to implement, you'll find yourself highlighting many passages of the book...." Read more

32 customers mention "Credibility"17 positive15 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's credibility, with some finding it fundamentally true while others note it lacks research and interesting content.

"...Godin uses very realistic and relatable examples to prove how tribes exist in everyday life; these examples range far and wide and can be applicable..." Read more

"...with endless assertions about tribes, often with little meaningful elaboration or evidence): 1. Everyone can be a leader 2...." Read more

"...little book if filled with BIG IDEAS that are down-to-earth and fundamentally true...." Read more

"...There is no forward or introduction. There is no table of contents. There are no chapters...." Read more

We have a job to do and that's to lead great people to their life purpose so they can fulfill ...
5 out of 5 stars
We have a job to do and that's to lead great people to their life purpose so they can fulfill ...
I wish I had known about this book years ago, but thrilled I found it when I did! We have a job to do and that's to lead great people to their life purpose so they can fulfill their destiny.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Gregory Cox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book. Become the leader you want to be.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I loved the book so much I wrote this article...
    [...]

    ---
    My name is Gregory Cox, and I am a Heretic.
    What I learned from Seth Godin's Tribes.

    Hello everyone. My name is Gregory Cox, and I am a heretic AND leader.

    I wanted to start this review that way, because the book Tribes by Seth Godin is going to make you a bold person. It's going to make you excited about following your heart, about following your passions, and showing you the absolute need for you to be a leader in your business, your family, and your life. And - and this is what it's all about - other people's lives.

    Are you ready to be a leader?

    Why is it that Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead were followed around like a second coming of Christ? With only one top 40 album, the Grateful Dead became a complete movement unto themselves. And there's a reason. This book addresses that.

    The Grateful Dead: one Top 40 album, HUGE following.
    Tribes used to the local. Now, their global. There is the ability in our lifetime (!) to instantly communicate with one another, all over the world. And we are just beginning. Someday soon even, I don't even think languages are going to be a barrier. In our lifetime we will most likely see instantaneous communication between cultures, without learning different languages.

    So, are you ready to be a leader? It's not whether you can get in touch people anymore, it's if your signal to noise ratio is high. That means what you say is more important than how many times you say it, or how loud you shout it. It's about speaking with authority and purity. It's about speaking with passion. It's about saying I know the way.

    It's fun to be a heretic.

    I am a heretic. Hence, the impishness.
    For me, being in business for myself is much about being my own boss. One might say that's a cop out. One might also say that it's a greater responsibility. Especially to my clients.

    I'm supposed to be the court jester, the fool, the dreamer, the magician, the one that challenges opinions and beliefs. Especially in marketing.

    After all, if marketing is a predator and prey interaction, one might say that I am supposed to think like a heretic. I can't beat out my competition if I'm doing the exact same thing they are doing.

    Leadership is not management.

    Leadership is about creating change that you believe in, not about ordering people around. It's about changing status quo, not maintaining or managing it. There is no stability in life. Everything changes all the time, including in marketing. So, welcome change with open arms.

    1000 true fans.

    1000 fans will bring you enough attention and support to make a great living. 1000 fans will support you through your life - financially and otherwise. Many of the organizations that I (and Seth, apparently) have bumped into care about numbers, not fans. This is a very bad way to enter into the future.

    Let me ask you this: do you think it's important to get on Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn because it will bring you money, or because it will connect you with the people that will influence your future? QED.

    Envision yourself rich beyond your wildest dreams.

    Now what is important to you? Where would you throw your time?

    Well, that's what should be important to you right now. It's important a start with the right mindset. And there are many books that say the same thing. If all you're here to do is to make money, you probably won't make much money. There are exceptions, of course. But are they happy?

    Being a leader means being uncomfortable.

    You know, Jesus made his disciples uncomfortable. He wanted them to be leaders.
    The very nature of leadership is to lead others. That means there's nobody in front of you telling you what to do or where to go. That means it's going to be uncomfortable. Get over it.

    If you accept the fact that you must be a leader, then you must accept the fact that it will be uncomfortable. Use your discomfort to drive you forward. I believe that adopting the right mindset means pushing towards discomfort. If you feel yourself becoming too comfortable, it's time to shake things up.

    Your tribe members are not blind sheep.

    If your followers do what you say without question, two things will happen. One, you will never ever find a quiet time to yourself ever again. Two, your tribe will never grow.

    Hey, it's getting better.

    They use to burn heretics at the stake. At least you don't have to worry about that anymore.

    Why settle when you can achieve greatness?

    And perhaps this is why I wrote this article for Vision Fridays. There is no logic in going for mediocrity.

    And now that you have the ability to connect with everyone in the world very quickly, why not try out some of those crazy ideas on the global populace?

    Why not challenge yourself throughout your life? Why not challenge others? The limit of what you can do is most certainly less restricting than you think it is. Why not find out the limits of your capabilities?

    Start a tribe. At the very least, at the end of your life you won't have to wonder.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Fr. Charles Erlandson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, Insightful - and Often Just Plain Wrong!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Tribes is a shotgun blast that takes aim at the old way of doing things with many pellets from a new vision. It has relevance for all of us: those interested in the future of their religious traditions should, perhaps, pay particular attention. I'll discuss this more at the end of my review.

    This new vision of how we are living is what Seth Godin calls "Tribes." We've always had tribes because it's in our nature, but the nature of those tribes has been changed by the Internet and other forces.

    I chose to read this book because I saw countless references to it in other things I was reading. I read Michael Hyatt's blog (he's the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers), and he described it as essential for authors who want to gain a readership (tribe). But there are many other ways Tribes applies to all of our lives.

    A tribe, according to Godin, "is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea" (p. 1). Throughout the book, Godin throws out an amazing number of ideas about tribes, their nature, and how we should all be leading tribes. The book is filled with wonderful information for understanding how people connect today, and a lot of great advice about how to create tribes based on what we love.

    Here are many of the key assertions that are worth noting (I say "Key" because the book is filled with endless assertions about tribes, often with little meaningful elaboration or evidence):

    1. Everyone can be a leader
    2. Each of us has more leverage than before
    3. Geography is less important (p. 4)
    4. Tribes are looking for leaders (and connection), and you can be that leader, regardless of how you've seen yourself in the past
    5. "Tribes are about faith" (p. 9).
    6. "Marketing is the act of telling stories about the things we make" (p. 15).
    7. "Stability is an illusion" (p. 16).
    8. "Great leaders create movements by empowering the tribe to communicate" (p. 23).
    9. To turn a group into a tribe you only need a shared interest and a way to communicate (p. 24).
    10. "Organizations that destroy the status quo win" (p. 35).
    11. "Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead" (p. 55).
    12. "Tribes are increasingly voluntary" (p. 67).
    13. Faith is underrated and religion is overrated (p. 79).
    14. 5 key elements to creating a "microenvironment" and 6 principles for "microenvironments"

    For all of these great insights and succinctly articulating the way the world is changing around us, and for effectively inspiring us to become leaders, I give Tribes 4 stars.

    But, there are a lot of negatives that should be acknowledged about the book.
    1. Godin tries too hard to play the part of the poor, persecuted "heretic"
    2. Tribes is big on ideas but small on development or fair discussion (he's too much of a cheerleader)
    3. This is an amazingly small book, both in number of pages and in the size of the pages. And the last third of the book or so seemed like fluff.
    4. Godin only asserts and gives anecdotes: he doesn't develop or provide much evidence for his ideas.
    5. MORE IMPORTANTLY, Godin seems incapable of comprehending that he might be wrong on any of his points. He doesn't seem to have time to acknowledge the ways in which what he describes may not lead to bliss for all.

    For example, he glibly announces that geography is less important, and affirms this as a good thing. But he shows no awareness of the ways in which a "virtual" world may be a less fulfilling world.

    There's no room for the notion that many people, and not just people of religion or "the factory" as he calls it, are discovering that stability is a rare and precious commodity and highly to be sought. For him, change and novelty rule the universe - and should.

    And don't get me started on his simplistic notions of how "faith" is what's really important, and "religion" is just sort of a leach or parasitical attachment to this generic faith we should all have.

    This leads me to my final point, one that applies to people of faith and who actually believe in a stable religious identity of some sort. I encourage you to perform the following thought (or "gedanken", as Einstein called them) experiment. When you read Tribes, substitute the word "Church" every time you see "Tribes." What you'll discover is a lot of truth, but also a lot of nonsense or error.

    Like it or not, Godin is describing a world that is becoming ours, and we all need to understand it better.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff
    Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great book, useful if youre looking to kick out on your own and start a business.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • wilkner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nos inspira e nos estimula a ação
    Reviewed in Brazil on April 23, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    O livro apresenta inúmeros exemplos que nos inspiram a agir. Identificar oportunidades, não se conformar com o status quo e liderar mudanças. Muitas coisas que podem ser melhoradas ou criadas estão por ai e devemos formar tribos com pessoas que compartilham propósitos similares. Lidera-las. Ao ler este livro você terá conquistado um convite a ação (que ja estava aí e você não viu)!
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  • S. Gale
    5.0 out of 5 stars By far, the best book I have read this year!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    If you want to change the world, or change your bit of it, this is the book for you!

    Seth Godin focuses on the role that LEADERSHIP plays in change and makes some powerful observations about the difference between MANAGEMENT and LEADERSHIP. Management is about maintaining stability, about perpetuating the status quo, it is about ensuring that things are done the same way that they have always been done. It is about avoiding change. For managers, change equals risk. Leadership, on the other hand, is about creating change that people can believe in. Leadership doesn't avoid change, it thrives on it. For leaders, change equals opportunity.

    The book is incredibly well written. It feels as if every page has been handcrafted. Some many find the lack of chapters disconcerting. For me, it just helped the whole flow of the book. Ironically, it almost reads as a set of blog entries (no surprise for anyone that has read "Small is the new Big" or Seth's blog). I find it amusing that many said that the online world would kill off traditional publishing. Well, here is an example of the online world inspiring traditional publishing!

    It is very easy to read. I read it in a couple of sittings and the only thing that slowed me down was the fact I made so many notes in it! I highly recommend it. If you are interested in leadership, then you MUST read this book. You will not be disappointed.

    I wish I could think and write like Seth Godin. However, I suspect the only thing we have in common is our initials! Great book. Inspiring reading. Thank you, Seth.
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  • Saumya singh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must buy if interested in management
    Reviewed in India on September 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I came accross this book recommendation by many managers and leaders online.
    I gave it a shot and it was worth it. Deep insights by the author which is surprisingly a result out-of-the-box thinking. Go for it!
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    Saumya singh
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Must buy if interested in management

    Reviewed in India on September 1, 2023
    I came accross this book recommendation by many managers and leaders online.
    I gave it a shot and it was worth it. Deep insights by the author which is surprisingly a result out-of-the-box thinking. Go for it!
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  • Carl Bischoff
    5.0 out of 5 stars inspirational read.
    Reviewed in Australia on October 9, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    are you in business and spending money on marketing? if so this is worthy of a few hours of your time, what makes a leader? what make a hey person of influence. Read this one and go out and change the world oh and btw it's not about selling its about the vision
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  • rk-f
    5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirationen vs How to
    Reviewed in Germany on November 30, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Ich lese Godin schon eine Weile und genieße seine Bücher eigentlich immer. Mir gefällt seine Art des Denkens und Betrachtens - und natürlich auch seine typisch amerikanische Direktheit (e.g. "... doesn't work anymore ..." obwohl etwas immer noch funktioniert, wenn auch immer weniger).

    So gesehen ist Tribes ein typischer Godin, der den Leser inspiriert, sein kleines Denk-Schema "wie könnte ich das verkaufen" zu verlassen und sich stattdessen zu sagen: "Wofür stehe ich eigentlich? Wie stelle ich mir eine bessere Welt vor und was wäre dabei mein Beitrag" ... um dann loszuziehen und sich auf die Suche nach Mitstreiter zu machen. Es geht nicht um noch ein ultimatives Produkt, sondern darum etwas zu verändern und dabei durchaus ein eigenes Produktangebot zu haben. Leadership, in Godin's Sinne, ist die Fähigkeit, etwas zu verändern und folglich geht es in seinem Buch darum, jeden einzelnen mit seinen Möglichkeiten bekannt zu machen und zu verstehen, dass jeder einzelne prinzipiell alles hat, was es braucht, um etwas zu verändern - auf jeder Ebene der Skalierung. Aber er zeigt auch, dass es eben doch nicht jeder kann - weil die Angst davor, kritisiert zu werden, die wohl meisten Menschen davon abhalten wird, etwas zu unternehmen.

    Ich hab das Buch sehr genossen - wenn also jemand daran interessiert ist, die eigenen Möglichkeiten auszuloten, dieses Buch böte einen guten Anfang. :-)
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