Seth Godin uses the word tribe for a group of people who have a shared interest and a way of communicating. With the advent of online communication the need for people to get together geographically is greatly diminished which also means the potential for anyone to be a leader is greatly enhanced. The purpose of his book, Tribes (Piatkus, 2008), is to demonstrate that tribes need leaders and to encourage people to become leaders in whatever field their interest lies.

Godin explains the changing nature of business in today’s culture and while he doesn’t use the term “generation y” it is clear to me that many of these changes have come about because of the growing number of generation y people who are entering the work force. (Generation y is the term given to people born between about 1980 and 2000.) Generation y people have different values and different points of view which greatly effects their perception of the nature of work and the way to earn an income. If we want to make an impact in today’s changing climate we need to keep pace with the new ideas that are being discussed as there are many opportunities for creative, innovative people. That is, people who are prepared to do things differently to the status quo.

Godin believes now is a great time for anyone to take the initiative and start leading a tribe.