“Success, both in business and personally, is something that’s consciously created.” – Robin Sharma, The Leader Who Had No Title

Today’s culture revolves around titles and accolades, accomplishments and scoring the best accounts. We see celebrities praised for blockbuster movies and athletes remembered for show-stopping plays. Society is obsessed with achieving greatness and spending the most money.

“Leaders” are no different. Those in management tend to think that fancy cars and corner offices are the life. Dinners purchased with company credit cards and international business meetings give off impressions of leadership and success.

But true leadership involves nothing mentioned above. In fact, no one needs a title, or fancy car or wads of money, to be a leader. They just need passion, determination, and a commitment to make the world a better place.

Over the next few days, I’m going to be sharing with you how to manage your social media campaign like a true leader. The concepts in the series will be pulled from Robin Sharma’s The Leader Who Had No Title. You need no title to be a great leader. You don’t need to be chief social media marketer or manager of the IT department. If you are determined to change the lives of others, this is for you.

You and your social media campaigns can have an impact on the world; you just need to unlock your inner leader.

The Title Conundrum

Our culture is obsessed with titles. The person with the best or highest ranking title is usually considered the “winner” and will get praise solely the few words that follow their name. However, titles undoubtedly lead to trouble. When a person is given a high ranking title, they put themselves above everyone else. Instead of being the leader they are called to be, the employee walks around like a king or queen, expecting everyone else to wait on them. All of this because of a title.

Leading without a title means that you put away the notions that one person is better than another and you work to benefit others. You are humble in your daily work routine. Instead of serving yourself, you serve others. Your vision of the world is not clouded by thoughts of self; instead, you think about how you can help the world.

No Title = No Limits

One of the first objections people normally have to the leading without a title concept is the perception that if you have no title, you won’t get the glory and money and benefits of the “titled” positions. This is not the case. In fact, it’s about the furthest from the truth that you can get.

If you are good at what you do, people will notice. If you continue to be good at what you do, people will praise you. If you consistently go above and beyond in the workplace, you will receive accolades that will make others jealous. Your determination means and willingness to help others will set you apart from even the people who have the big titles. Do you know why?

You are committed to making the world a better place, which is something that most corner office residents don’t even think about.

When you have no title, there are no limits on what you can do.

Leading Without A Title in Social Media

Now that you have an idea as to how you can begin to unleash the true leader within you, let’s focus on how you can apply the leader without a title principles to social media and marketing.

First, put your customers and clients before your business needs. Want to impress your clientele? Bend over backwards to serve them. Bring them customer service like they’ve never seen. As Seth Godin states in Linchpin, “Customers…crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human.” Deliver them something that they can’t get from another company–above and beyond loyalty to their needs.

Next, offer your help and expertise to those who want to learn. You are a knowledge base full wonderful thoughts and ideas. Don’t hold them inside; instead, share them with the people in your industry who need them the most. Ideas are copyrighted. Be diligent in serving others because they will return the favor when you need it the most.

Finally, put your new and innovative ideas into motion. Have you figured out an easy and simple method for creating customer Facebook pages of Twitter backgrounds? How about an easy to use program that notifies you whenever someone mentions you on Twitter or writes on your fan page wall? If you have a great idea for process improvement or making your industry thrive, go for it. As a leader without a title, you’re more concerned about the well-being of the world itself than just yourself. Share your resources, ideas, and passions with others.

Action Items

It’s time for you to begin leading without a title and having a greater impact on the the world. Here are a few action items for you to do today:

• List three ways that you can serve your current customer base. How can you “wow” them? What needs could you meet that you aren’t addressing right now?
• Join a LinkedIn Group or message board in order to help people in an area where you are strong. Good with Macs? Join the Apple users group. Really good with web programming? See if you can help solve some code problems on a forum.
• Tease out one idea you’ve been holding inside for a long time. What do you need to do to set it in motion? Whatever it is, do it.

As always, please share this article on the social networking site of your choice. Also, if you haven’t connected with us on Facebook or LinkedIn yet, come join us.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by pnijhuis

At Folk Media, we want to think about you first. Because, in the end, without you we would be nothing. So, everything we do here is meant to be focused on you and your understanding of social media and business.

That said, we know that you don’t have much time. In fact, you probably only have about 15 to 20 minutes a day to browse the Internet while you’re not working, paying bills, running a family, or having a social life.

See? We get it.

In order to give you the social media nuggets that you want, we’re going to occasionally post some social media one-liners, quick hits of what is going on in the realm of social media.

We want to focus on good content, too, so we will include some food for thought, too.

Here are today’s quick hits:

• The Internet has over 26 million “mommy bloggers” and they play a pretty big role in the advancement of social media.
• If you think that Twitter cannot be integrated into business and personal careers, think again. Here are 10 professions that actively use Twitter for marketing and communication.
• Losing customers can really put a damper on your business. Have you tried implementing a social media customer retention program?
• According to a recent study by Oxygen Media, one in five young women check Facebook in the middle of the night. Are they addicted to Facebook?
• Do you want to be a movie star? Film your entire day on July 24 and upload it to YouTube to earn a chance to be in the movie “Life in a Day.”
• Mashable nicely summarizes the top 5 social media trends to watch. Read about mobile payment methods and more.
• Are you benefiting from making your customers smarter or dumber?
• Where are you on the ambition flowchart? What can you do to improve your life?

Stay tuned for more social media one-liners next week.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by magicmarie

Writing is important. We all know that content is one of the most important aspects of a business and without writing, you can’t produce content. Needless to say, it’s pretty critical that you have a good handle on writing, or a good editor, before you disseminate valuable content to your customers.

Wait–don’t leave yet. If you’re the guy or gal that thinks writing isn’t your strongest quality, you’re not alone. You don’t need to be good at writing to succeed; you only need to know the critical elements that create writing success.

There is no better role model or influence to turn to than Seth Godin. Seth Godin is a business/media strategist who takes pride in helping people. However, his books don’t always top the charts and his blog is rather short and simple. He understands the important aspects of writing and he goes from there. You can do that, too.

Connection

One of your foremost goals when writing should be to connect to your audience. Frankly, without a connection, you have no audience. Who wants to read something that isn’t appealing or interesting? I know that I don’t.

Creating a connection with your audience will get you far in your career as a writer. Seth Godin creates connections using stories, one-liners, and memorable but short quotes to get you thinking. It’s like he is right next to you holding a conversation.

Also, connections enable readers to keep coming back to your content. If they can relate to you one time, they will long for that connection the next time.

Memories

Our memories map out our lives. Memories of happiness will encourage us to continue on a certain course and painful memories will guard our hearts forever. When writing, make sure that you create good memories for your audience. You don’t need to be a super sophisticated writer to create memories. You don’t need to pen brilliant words. In fact, all you need to do is be authentic and down to earth.

When you’re authentic with your audience, they trust you and they begin to open up to your words. Make sure that you captivate them with your realness and use that to create positive memories for your readers.

Remember, positive memories come in handy when you release new content because those people you’ve touched will recall their experience with you and will return the favor time and time again.

Value

You’ve heard us talk about it before and this isn’t the last time we’ll touch on it: creating value for your customers is much better than anything else. If your customers know they are getting a product with a high value, they a more willing to be repeat customers and spread the word.

Value does not mean a low priced product. Sure, lower prices might be more appealing at first but if you can provide free content that has a large value, you’ll immediately attract potential customers and win market share.

We all want to be valued. When you’re writing, make sure that you give away as much information as possible. Don’t hold all of the cards because the more hidden you are, the less people will trust you.

Creating connections, memories, and value will help your writing stick.

Seth Godin is a master at writing and you can be, too. Take some time this week to practice connecting, making memories, and creating value through your writing. You might actually surprise yourself…

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Right Brain Resource

It’s no surprise that the things change and plans get reworked. That’s just how life goes. At times, the terrain ahead of us seems to be hidden by a thick fog, forcing us to move ahead slowly and with caution. It’s a crazy world and who knows what might be lurking around the corner or just beyond where our vision ends.

When the path ahead becomes unclear, most people cower and hide. They don’t want to move ahead because it’s too much of a risk. The fear of the unknown cripples them and they can’t bear to journey on.

Lucky for you, you’re not in that group. Instead, you’re a First Class Leader who is leading the charge into the unknown.

Right?

Preparing for the Storm

It’s often said that you are what you eat. It’s true; what you consume is often displayed in the characteristics of your body. If you eat double cheeseburgers every day, you might not be as lean as someone who only eats salads and drinks water.

You reap what you sow, too. Whatever you ingest mentally is what comes out through your actions. If you fill your head with relevant information before the big test, chances are that you’ll know most of the answers. If not, you probably won’t do well.

In order to manage the storm, you need to prepare. There is no better way to prepare than through reading. Humans have a tendency to put into action what they read and when the problems arise, you’ll implement some great thinking if you’ve read about how to manage things.

I’m not going to regurgitate the great teachings of philosophers and expert problem-solvers. Instead, here are a few books I recommend:

- The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
- Tribes by Seth Godin
- The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz
- 21 Indespensible Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell

These books have taught me some life-changing information and I think you can learn from them, too. Take the first step: prepare.

Making It Through

Do you know how to spot a First Class Leader? Look to see who is making progress when everyone else is slowing down.

In the business world, the key to success is not to gain a title. Instead, the key is to be adaptive to change no matter your title. If you can manage to adapt well to an ever-changing environment, you’re golden.

First Class Leaders don’t run away from the challenge or the problem or the change; they take it on and show what distinguishes them from everyone else.

In order to make it through, you need to be positive and committed to doing your best work no matter what is going on around you. Yes, there may be critics who want to stand in your way. It’s even possible that you might be lacking experience. But, when it comes down to the 11th hour, true First Class Leaders embrace business changes and adapt appropriately, showing their true colors and potential.

I will tell you that ingraining this philosophy of forging through the fog is not easy. In fact, it’s a struggle to remember you’re a First Class Leader and not someone who can just hide from change but it’s worth it. Don’t resist the changes being made in your life. Take them on and show that you can adapt, learn, and implement like a First Class Leader.

I can guarantee you this: you will experience more benefits, perks, and career opportunities than someone who plays it safe. All of that can come just by stepping up to the plate. Are you ready to step into the woods and forge ahead?

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by lornzo

Permission marketing keeps you effective and out of trouble

Permission means to give formal consent to another person. When using email to market your business, you want to have permission from your prospects and customers.

Permission is smart marketing

In his groundbreaking book, Permission Marketing, Seth Godin talks about  getting permission from your prospects before marketing to them.

Sounds odd right? You may ask – “who on earth is going to give me permission to market to them?”

But that’s the point. If you don’t have permission – they are tuning you out anyway.

And furthermore, we give people permission to market to us all the time. You probably have a buyers card for your local grocery store. They send you targeted coupons based on your purchases right?

And if you shop on Amazon, you’ll notice that they recommend books and products  based on your past purchases (ahem…marketing). You have given Amazon permission to do this.

Avoiding spam accusations

Not going to jail is an excellent reason to get permission from prospects. According to CAN-SPAM,  a US law passed in 2003, all email messages must:

• Offer a method for the recipient to opt-out (unsubscribe).
• Contain the sender’s valid physical postal address.

The law is in place to keep emails transparent and prevent spammers from attempting to hijack the space inside your inbox with their messages. You can read all the gritty details on the FTC website.

By getting your prospects to give permission before you start sending emails you will avoid spam accusations.

What permission email marketing looks like

Let’s take a closer look at what it means to gain permission when doing effective email marketing.

Move your readers through the “permission funnel”

You don’t need to take your prospects out to dinner and a movie, but it would serve you well to think about romancing them.

Yes – I said romance.

You want to make money by giving people value and then asking for a fraction of that value back in the form of money. In order to get to this place people need to know, like and trust you.

Which brings us back to that word permission again.

Here’s how it works.  The goal is to start with someone who has interest in your products and services and get them to start a conversation with you.

After this invite them to join your email list. Then you can begin to offer value.

As you show them the value that you provide, be sure to ask them to take small action steps to show their level of interest in the relationship.

This could be an invitation to a free teleseminar or an offer to download a free whitepaper or report. Psychologically you are getting them to raise their hand and show that they are committed to continuing the relationship.

Invite them to make a small purchase. Next, ask them to take a bigger action which in turn can lead to a larger purchase. During this whole process keep adding value to their business and life.

I call this a “permission funnel.” Visually, this is how this process looks.

Interest  –> Opt in (subscribe to your email list) –>  Small action (raise their hand) –>  Small purchase –>  Grow a relationship  –> Bigger action –>  Larger purchase –> Deeper relationship

It all starts with the email opt-in

When your starting with email marketing for your business, I recommend that you use a double opt-in. Double opt-in means that after a prospect subscribes to your list they must confirm their email before receiving future messages from you. It insures that you have…

you guessed it – PERMISSION.

Remember when I said to treat an email like the Holy Grail. I meant it. It all starts when your customer decides to give you their precious email address.

They are giving you permission to email them in the future. Treat that address like gold. Treat it well and don’t abuse what they’ve entrusted you with. It’s the key that will unlock many sales and opportunities for you.

How to get permission

Put your prospect at ease

Let prospects know their email address is safe with you. It is important to assure your prospects you won’t abuse, rent, sell or spam their email address. So many people have been burned after trusting their email to a company. Be very straightforward and put their mind at ease.

Help them know what to expect from you

Be clear about what value you are providing and how frequently. If you send out daily emails, state that on your opt-in form and repeat it on your thank you page.

Choose email marketing software that takes care of the details

You should know where I stand on email marketing software companies by now – See our list of recommended providers here. But I’ll say this – choose an ESP that has double opt-in, insists on CAN-SPAM compliance and has good customer service.

Today’s 10 Minute Exercise: Write your opt in promise

If permission is the goal, you need to do everything in your power to make prospects comfortable giving you their email.

Spend the next ten minutes writing out your promise. Let them know you won’t rent or sell their address. Let them know they can unsubscribe from your email list at any time.

Here is an example:

“We hate spam as much as you do. We will not rent or sell your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. By joining our list you will receive weekly coupons and discounts to our store.”

Now go take action.

While your at it – you should give us permission to add value to your business by subscribing to our email newsletter. Each week we send out tips and strategies to teach you how to capture leads, generate more sales and double your business profits using social media. We won’t sell or rent your address to any third party. (How’s that for practicing what we preach?)

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Toolset Note: While there are many email marketing services out there, we use Aweber email marketing software. They are inexpensive, have great customer service and will help you build an effective email marketing list quickly.

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Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership. He is a producer, author, and speaker who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter or Google Buzz.

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Resources:

“The CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business”. FTC.

“Definitions and Implementation Under the CAN-SPAM Act”.  FTC.

“The CAN-SPAM Act: Requirements for Commercial Emailers”. Cybertelecom.

*photo by dotbenjamin

This post was written by guest author Chris Tompkins.

With the numerous books being published on social media marketing, intense media coverage and more people joining sites such as Facebook and Twitter than ever before, it is obvious that many of us are hungry for social media materials.

Since more people adopting the use of social media channels, the need for new resources that will help us utilize them in a more effective manner is great.  Honestly, it is extremely encouraging that so many people are eager to learn before they act, rather than just plow blindly ahead.

With that said, I wanted to share a useful list with you. This list focuses on a few social media blogs that I suggest you visit. As these are well known, they may have appeared on other lists, but who cares – they have great information!

The blogs below are not only informative, but they offer great tutorials on new and existing social media tools, talk about the latest technological advances, offer free downloads….and can be pretty entertaining at times.

So, without further ado, here is my own personal list of favorites blogs (in no particular order):

Mashable
This is my top favorite. A great blog with loads of content and so many updates it only makes sense to subscribe to the RSS feed or be left behind. No nonsense advice, lots of fresh perspectives and multiple bloggers make this one a slam dunk in my opinion.

Chris Brogan
If you have read the amazing Trust Agents (which I absolutely love and endorse 100%) then this is the blog behind one of the authors – Chris Brogan. Great blog, great information and written in an engaging, conversational style.

Social Media Today
Another site in the same vein as Mashable, with comprehensive content written by many different authors. This is another one with so many regular updates its a smart idea to subscribe to the RSS feed.

Guy Kawasaki
Terrific blog from the ever-present Guy Kawasaki. He talks about anything and everything from upcoming tech conferences to how to build iphone applications. Always an enjoyable read and his positivity is catchy.

Ma.tt
Another extremely interesting blog with one heck of a blog design. Matt Mullenweb (aka PhotoMatt) dishes the dirt on many topics and is heavy on video, pictures and great content. Worth a look to see if it is a good fit for you.

Altimeter Group
This offers a holistic approach to emerging technologies (which I support). If you liked the book “Groundswell,” this blog will be right up your street.

Rashmisinha
I like this one as it really dives into more technical subjects and discusses them in an easy to understand way. Worth a look for sure.

Seth Godin
The wonderful blog of Seth Godin, author of more books on marketing and sales than you can shake a stick at (most recently the bestseller Linchpin). I enjoy Seth’s take on the social media and his posts are always well written, witty and full of takeaways.

TechCrunch
Are you more interested in the latest applications, toys and software to make the online experience more enjoyable? Then this is the blog for you. A clean and clear design and “regular folk” language make this a must-read for anyone who wants to stay up to date with the latest technology.

Now, let’s remember that these are just some of my favorites. What are yours? What sites do you visit to get the best information? Please share them below! Also, let me know what you think about the sites I suggested. I would be interested to hear your take on them!

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Chris is the CEO of Go! Media International, LLC – an integrated marketing firm specializing in cutting edge social media strategy and online marketing campaigns. Chris is a fundamental supporter of education in the online marketing technology sector (for companies and individuals) and speaks at national and international conferences alike. If you’d like to find out more, visit his blog or follow him on Twitter.

*Photo by Martin Kingsley

Throughout the series, we have covered many aspects of growing your tribe.  First, we discussed that knowing yourself, your tribe, and the goals of your tribe was a solid foundation for a successful movement.  Next, we learned that believing in yourself and your tribe is essential.  Without belief, no one will trust you or have passion for your ideas.

Third, we talked about building a community and how it was necessary to find a medium of interaction, encourage connection, and stay out of the way.  The fourth section discussed the idea of persevering through difficult times.  Perseverance consists of keeping the big picture in mind and always striving to move forward.  If you have implemented the ideas of the first four sections, you are well on your way to growing your tribe.

In the final part of the series, we’re going to cover the aspect of growing.  Growing is the final step in the tribe building process.  As you have persevered through difficulties, you have learned a lot about yourself, your tribe, personalities, processes, and much more.  It’s time to put that knowledge to good use.

The growing stage consists of three steps – assessing what you’ve learned, implementing new ideas, and gathering feedback.  Each step is vitally important in the growth process and will allow for your tribe to be successful in the present and in the future.

Assessing What You’ve Learned

It is easy to get caught in the hype of growing a tribe.  It’s a great thing and is definitely something to be excited about.  Although it’s an exhilarating experience, you can’t forget about learning.  Learning is the only way to become a better leader and to grow your tribe.  Whether it is learning from mistakes, personality conflicts, or tribe members, it is necessary to learn.

When talking about growing a tribe, learning is the secret ingredient.  Technically, you and your tribe can make it with an unstable foundation, little belief, and a world of problems.  But, if you don’t learn from all of that, your tribe will cease and your leadership abilities will be compromised.

There are a lot of moving parts to a tribe so I suggest writing down what you have learned.  Writing the information on a piece of paper or typing it in a document will allow for you to reflect on it and keep a record of it.  Plus, it allows for you to just get things out of your overworked mind.

Learn from your successes and failures.  Realize what you have done right and what you could have done better.  When you don’t learn, you don’t thrive.

Implementing New Ideas

Now that you have learned a thing or two about your tribe and how you got to where you are today, it’s time to implement some new ideas or concepts.  When you implement new ideas, you are making a commitment to a greater future for you and your tribe.  What could be better than that?

The first step in implementing new ideas is to associate what you have learned with action steps that can be taken.  An action step is just that – a process that requires action.  For example, “creating a forum on the website” would be an action step.  It’s a process that requires action.  These action steps can be completed by yourself or the tribe.

Be sure to create specific action steps.  If your action steps are vague, it will be difficult to know if you completed them.  An example of a vague action step would be “create a better website.”  How do you know if the website is better?  What makes up a “better website?”

After you have created your action steps, do them.  Don’t wait until next week or next month.  Do them now.  Seth Godin notes in Tribes, “The best time to change your business model is when you have momentum.” (pg. 94).  You have the drive needed to complete your action steps.  If you wait, you will be disappointed that you did.

Gathering Feedback

Once you have completed your action steps, it is time to gather feedback about the changes you have made.  Feedback can sometimes be a tough pill to swallow but you must keep in mind that you are not receiving feedback for the betterment of yourself.  Instead, the feedback you gather is the the betterment of the tribe.  It’s not about you; it’s about them.

When you gather feedback, be sure to actually listen.  As humans, we often “check out” in the middle of a conversation if we don’t like what we are hearing or if we’re distracted.  Don’t check out.  Godin notes, “The secret…is to listen, to value what you hear.” (pg. 128)  Without listening, how do you expect to grow your tribe?

Although you will receive feedback from a variety of sources, I suggest gathering feedback form your tribe before anyone else.  Your tribe members are the individuals fighting the battle with you.  They are the people impacted by the changes you have made.  Their feedback is essential in making the processes, both old and new, work.  After receiving feedback from tribe members, solicit feedback from outsiders, experts and other leaders, if possible.  This will give you a well-rounded idea about the impact your changes have made.

Assessing what you have learned, implementing new ideas, and gathering feedback will enable you to grow yourself and your tribe.  Each process serves its own specific purpose and together, they will allow for you to execute the changes that need to be made in order to better the tribe.  Growing is essential to a tribe.  If you don’t grow, you can’t have an impact.

Series Conclusion

Thank you for journeying with me through this series.  I hope that it has been an eye opener and inspiration for you.  The steps to growing a tribe – knowing, believing, building, persevering, and growing – will be true no matter where you decide to lead.  All that matters is that you have made a commitment to lead.  Remember, we need you to lead us.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about the series, I would love to hear from you.  Feel free to email me or find me on Twitter.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Thiru Murugan

Thus far, we have covered the first three steps in growing your tribe – knowing, believing, and building.  Without these three steps, your tribe would be non-existent or barely hanging on.  If you need a refresher on any of these steps, feel free visit the respective articles before continuing.

Once you have completed the first three steps, it is time to begin persevering.  You’re probably asking, “Why do I need to persevere?”  Well, it’s because you’re going to face adversity, disappointment, and challenges the size of mountains.  If you haven’t encountered the bumpy road yet, count yourself lucky.  However, it’ll come soon enough.

There is good news – difficulties are helpful.  Benjamin Franklin once said, “If it hurts, it instructs.”  We can’t grow and learn if we don’t face difficulties.  Does the student who already knows Geometry learn anything in an Algebra class?  No.  He will learn in a Calculus class when his patience, thinking, and logic are tested.  The same concept is true when you are growing your tribe.  The difficulties within the tribe will ultimately help the tribe in the future.

Also, difficulties make a leader.  In Tribes, Seth Godin states, “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.” (pg. 55)  The discomforts in life allow for a leader to be shaped and sculpted.

When persevering through tough times, it is important to remember the big picture and to always have one foot forward.  These two concepts will help you turn your darkest night into the brightest day.

The Big Picture

I don’t like to use the term “big picture” too often because it’s overused.  But, in this case, I feel it is necessary to use it.  While growing your tribe, knowing the bigger picture is a necessity.  Remember, you are putting your tribe before yourself.  Humility allows for the bigger picture to come into focus.  With humility, you can see how things connect and you can realize that difficulties will turn positive at some point.

Let me warn you – do not bypass resolving an issue because of the belief that it will work itself out in the end.  Such a mindset will only hurt your tribe and it will diminish your movement.  When a difficult situation arises, address the issue, find a solution that works for all parties involved, and persevere.  The bigger picture, the future if you will, is what matters but you will never see it if you don’t address the conflicts of today.

One Foot Forward

Having one foot forward is the second step in persevering.  The last thing you want is to be idle or moving backward.  However, keeping one foot forward is easier said than done.  Moving forward isn’t about routinely choosing one thing over the other; it is about the risk associated with choosing one thing over the other.

You might think the best option is always the choice with the largest amount of risk.  With the largest amount of risk, there is usually a large amount to gain.  However, this isn’t always the case.  The best choice to make when analyzing risk, especially when growing a tribe, is the choice that is most logical in your situation.  Sometimes it is good to take fewer risks and progressively move forward.  Other times, big risks are ultimately better.  Whatever logically makes the most sense and moves you forward, go for it.

Above all else, always make wise decisions but don’t take a passive approach.  If you boycott risks that move your tribe forward, even the small ones, you are hurting yourself and the progress of the movement.  Be bold in your choices.  Reluctance is not perseverance.

Also, you want to get in the habit of consulting your tribe, or at least a few of its trusted members, before making a decision.  This will hold you accountable and show you are the leader to claim to be – trustworthy and humble.

Moving forward prevents stagnation and boredom within your tribe.  In order to grow and to enhance your movement, one foot must always be in from of the other.

Perseverance is a necessary part of growing your tribe.  Conflicts will arise and choices will need to be made.  When persevering, recognize the bigger picture and always progress forward.  Without seeing the bigger picture, your needs are put before the needs of the tribe.  It’s not about you; it’s about them.  As you’re making choices, remember that the question isn’t “How can I move forward?”  The question is “Am I willing to take the risk to move forward?”

When you feel knocked down and hopeless, remember this quote from Godin, “One person with a persistent vision can make change happen.” (pg. 77)  Go.  Lead.  Persevere.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by kk+

In the first two parts of this series, we discussed growing your tribe through knowing and believing.  If you don’t know yourself, your potential tribe, and the goals of the tribe, you won’t have a solid foundation for a productive and active community of followers.  Believing in yourself and in your tribe is essential – without belief, no one will trust you or become a part of your tribe.

The next step to growing your tribe is to build a community.  A community is not just a band of believers or people with a common trait; it is an inspired group of people willing to spread your message without hesitation.  One you have built your community, your tribe will take shape and will begin to grow.

There are three action steps for building your community – establish a medium of interaction, connect, and get out of the way.

Your Medium of Interaction

Before you can establish your tribe, you need to decide the primary method of communication between tribe members.  If you do not have a predetermined method of communication, your tribe will not be able to function as a community.

With the advancement of technology, it’s fairly easy to say that you’ll use the Internet as your medium of interaction.  Before you slate the Internet as your definite source of communication, ask yourself the following questions:

• What aspect of the Internet will my tribe use?  Social networking websites?  Blogs?  Forums?  Email distribution lists?
• Is the Internet really the best form of communication for my tribe?  Is my tribe localized enough to meet in person?  Would conference calls be sufficient for tribe members?

Connect

Connecting is one of the most rewarding aspects about being part of a tribe.  Connection allows for the tribe to freely interact with one another and serve as a role model for people interested in your tribe or becoming a part of another tribe.  Connect with your tribe.  Allow for members to connect with one another.  It’s a staple of your movement.

Get Out of the Way

Out of the three parts of building a community, you’d probably say that this step is the least necessary or the one that doesn’t matter.  Contrary to popular belief, stepping back from your tribe is a very important step in the community building process.

Imagine this: your boss assigns you to a new project.  She tells you to assemble a team of five co-workers and begin immediately.  You assemble your team and begin to work.  Although you’re keeping her informed and asking questions when necessary, she always comes to you and checks in on the status of the project.  She makes sure you’re using the right resources, typing the right information, and meeting deadlines.  You can’t get any work done without her being over your shoulder.

See what it’s like when you don’t step back from your tribe?  You smother your followers, restricting communication and lowering trust.  You actually slow progress when you don’t know when to back off.

This step isn’t a free pass to forget your tribe.  That isn’t the case at all.  There is a fine line between stepping back and walking away.  When you get out of the way of your tribe, you are entrusting them to take initiative and will help along the way if necessary.  Walking away signifies that you don’t want to lead your tribe any longer.

Stepping back builds the character of your tribe members and leads to a stronger community.  When you micromanage and constantly bombard your tribe, you hurt their movement.  As Godin states, “Deciding to lead, not manage, is the critical choice.” (pg. 52)

Building a community allows for you to meet the needs of your followers and enables them to grow inside and outside of the tribe.  Building a strong community will this show that you are a great leader and it will inspire you to continue expand your community.  Remember, the size of your community doesn’t matter; it is the connection that counts.

When building your community of followers, keep in mind what really matters: “Growing a tribe of committed, talented people who are spreading a message of empowerment, respect, and growth.” (pg. 26)

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by

We discussed that the first step in building a tribe was all about knowing – knowing yourself, your potential tribe, and the goals of your tribe.  It is critical to have an understanding of this information because this will serve as the foundation for your tribe.  Without knowing yourself, your tribe, or the goals of your tribe, you will be out of touch with yourself and your followers.

After you have discovered that you display genuine leadership characteristics and that your tribe is waiting, you must believe in your tribe and yourself.  As the leader, if you believe in what you’re doing, your tribe will believe, too.  In his book, Tribes, Seth Godin notes “Tribes are about faith – about belief in an idea and in a community.  And they are grounded in respect and admiration for the leader of the tribe and for the other members as well.” (pg. 9)  Belief goes a long way when establishing your tribe.

Believe in Yourself

In a society that dwells on failures and fallacies, it is sometimes hard to believe in yourself.  All to often, once you believe in yourself, someone calls you out and shatters your high self esteem.  As the leader of a tribe, it is important to always believe in yourself, even when the critics are tearing you down.  How do you expect someone else to buy into your message if you don’t believe what you’re saying?

Individuals often criticize because someone is being different.  This can range from dressing differently to reinventing processes in the office.  Everyone loves to criticize the revolutionaries of our society.

However, revolutionaries are leaders.

Think about this: how do things change?  How does new legislation pass?  How does a new style of music catch on?  How do new company policies take effect?  Everything changes because people are willing to step up, take a risk, and stick around to see what happens.

Godin states, “Heretics must believe.  More than anyone else in an organization, it’s the person who’s challenging the status quo, the one who is daring to be great, who is truly present and not just punching a clock who must have confidence in her beliefs.” (pg. 49, emphasis Godin)”

Commit to yourself and believe in what you’re doing, no matter what the critics are saying.

Believe in Others

After believing in yourself, you must believe in your tribe.  When you believe in your tribe, awesome things happen.  Seemingly impossible tasks are completed and your tribe begins to function as a community.  Belief breaks down barriers.

Although believing in your tribe is essential, it is not enough; you must convey your belief.  Your tribe must feel like they are trusted.  A great way to convey your belief is to have uninhibited communication between the tribe leader and members.  Communication without barriers gives your followers the notion that you trust them and are confident in their ability to function as a tribe.  Once your tribe feels trusted, they will begin to spread the word about your movement and before you know it, your tribe begins to grow.  Without belief in others, your tribe will slowly fade.

Having faith in yourself and others is the second essential step in growing your tribe.  If you don’t believe in yourself, who do you think will believe in you?  If you don’t believe in others, how will your tribe connect and grow?  Belief, simply stated, is the lifeblood of your tribe.  Don’t go without it.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Clearly Ambiguous