Tribal Leadership and Community Leadership
The Good and the Bad
Tribal leadership and community leadership, as explained by the exceptional book Tribal Leadership, written by Dave Logan, Halee Fischer-Wright, and John King, has become a well-regarded guide for improving organizational culture. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061251321/ I highly recommend it.) Its core idea is simple yet profound: every organization is made up of tribes (silos), or naturally forming groups of 20–150 people, and these tribes operate at different cultural stages ranging from undermining and disengaged (Stage 1) to innovative and world-changing (Stage 5).
This framework can be incredibly empowering—or dangerously misleading for community leaders. The model helps leaders in organizations and communities assess their culture and chart a course for growth. But like any powerful tool, its impact depends entirely on how it’s used.
I found the book insightful and empowering, and it also enables pattern recognition for both good and bad implementations. Let’s explore the good and the bad ways community leaders apply Tribal Leadership in real-world settings.
The Good: Elevating Culture and Building Trust
When used thoughtfully, Tribal Leadership can be transformational. Here’s how:
1. Diagnosing Culture, Not People
Good leaders use the book to assess their group’s culture, not label individuals. They understand that a person may behave differently in various settings based on the group’s dominant values, language, and norms. This focus on the collective allows leaders to identify cultural bottlenecks and opportunities for growth without alienating anyone.
2. Creating the Conditions for Growth
Rather than forcing people to “level up,” strong leaders focus on building the trust, shared values, and peer relationships that naturally elevate a tribe’s culture. They don’t chase Stage 5 overnight. Instead, they support people in moving from “I’m great” (Stage 3) to “We’re great” (Stage 4) through consistent action, language, and recognition of team wins.
3. Triadic Relationships
The book emphasizes the power of triads—relationships between three people working together toward a shared outcome. Good leaders encourage these triadic interactions, which are more resilient and creative than traditional one-to-one leadership. In practice, this looks like facilitating introductions, co-creating projects, and distributing ownership.
4. Shared Language and Values
Effective leaders use the model to introduce a common language. Terms like “Stage 2” or “Stage 4” become shorthand for understanding group dynamics. This helps the community identify unproductive behaviors without shame and rally around values that elevate collective purpose.
5. Shifting from Control to Collaboration
Perhaps most importantly, leaders who use the framework know when to get out of the way. They nurture leadership at every level and understand that real cultural change happens when the tribe owns its values, not when one charismatic figure dictates them.
The Bad: Mislabeling, Missteps, and Missed Opportunities
Unfortunately, not every leader uses the Tribal Leadership model as intended. The same framework that can unlock growth can also hinder it when misunderstood or misapplied.
1. Labeling Individuals Instead of Systems
One of the most common misuses is turning the model into a personality test. “She’s a Stage 2 person” or “He’s totally Stage 3” becomes a way to judge or sideline individuals. This weaponizes the framework and shifts attention away from fixing cultural conditions and blaming people.
2. Forcing Progress
Leaders sometimes drag a community up the tribal ladder without addressing the deeper issues. They expect instant transformation simply by declaring a higher stage goal. However, cultural shifts take time, safety, and consistent modeling, not mandates.
3. Skipping the Work
Another pitfall is using the model as a shortcut for actual leadership. Leaders might declare, “We’re a Stage 4 culture,” without working hard to align values, build trust, and confront dysfunction. It becomes a slogan instead of a practice.
4. Over-Focusing on Language
While language is a big part of the framework (how people talk reveals how they think), focusing only on buzzwords, without aligning actions, leads to a hollow culture. Leaders may encourage Stage 4 talk while rewarding Stage 3 behavior behind the scenes. The result? A trust breakdown.
5. Neglecting Structural Barriers
Tribal Leadership shines a light on cultural dynamics, but culture doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Leaders looking only at tribe stages may overlook systemic issues like lack of funding, exclusionary policies, or power imbalances. Culture can’t rise if the structure is broken.
The Takeaway
Tribal Leadership can be a powerful tool for community leaders, but it’s not a silver bullet. It works best when leaders use it as a guide, not a gospel. The goal is not to categorize people but to foster the conditions for cultural elevation.
At its heart, the framework is about trust, shared values, and peer-driven growth. Leaders who use it well listen more than they speak, build more than they direct, and nurture collective purpose over personal ego.
When that happens, tribes move from competition to collaboration, from control to co-creation, and from “good enough” to truly great.