Bold Moves

Chapter 5 Own your tribe

There is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend.

Socrates

How can you find a tribe of like-minded people who have your back? Finding your tribe enables you to create something much bigger than you would individually. In his brilliant book Tribes, marketing guru Seth Godin says that ‘leaders lead when they take positions, when they connect with their tribes, and when they help the tribe connect to itself’. Connect people in your social network who have common interests; give them access to the information and resources that they need; and let them know that you’re available if they need help. We all know someone who is brilliant at doing this!

When you run a business the path can be a lonely one, unless you choose otherwise. It’s a path where you’re guaranteed to be challenged every single day; it’s a path where not many lines are straight and change is the only certainty. I am a free spirit at heart and in many ways would be happy being a hippie. People give me energy and I need to work and collaborate with people. So for me it is important to build close and lasting relationships. That’s how I best play to my strengths. Of course, I have learned to make the hard calls and do it quickly when things aren’t working or get tough, but I also knew that the stereotypical female role models of the 1980s and 1990s in their power suits, with super-bitch personalities, were never going to be me. If I was going to lead a business I had to create ...