Unsubtribe

Tribes have been a popular concept for a while now.

Find your tribe!

Follow your tribe!

They're very attractive when we're starting out...a network of likeminded go-getters reinforcing our identity and aspirations.

But to grow and fulfill our potential as effective leaders, we need to stand on the shoulders of more than just the people who think like us. Situations change. People change. And hopefully, we change, too. Otherwise, things can get stale, and we eventually realize we're stuck.

How does this happen?

Tribes have the potential to...

1. Become echo chambers of what we already know and believe, restricting our world view, reinforcing our biases, and actively reducing our ability to think differently.

   
   

2. Create recurring confirmation biases, allowing us to remain comfortable in our thinking even when external conditions are changing around us.

   
   

3. Give us a false sense of safety and security that we have all the information and connections we need to continue to be successful.

   
   

4. Limit our exposure to new ideas and innovative strategies that can help us to evolve and adapt in this quickly-changing world in which we live.

   
   

5. Cause gaps in our existing understandings, making them outdated and making us blind and deaf to new opportunities standing right in front of us.

   
   

6. Let blind spots go unchallenged, leading to uninformed choices and a lack of empathy for the lived experiences of others with alternate world views.

   
   

7. Make us overly loyal to its members for support and solutions, even when we see other members similarly stagnating in their efforts to move forward.

   
   

8. Keep us from recognizing the diminished returns on everything we invest in them, and even if we see them, we're not sure when it happened or how to respond.

   
   

9. Offer a finite set of resources and connections that, once exhausted, is no longer helpful in feeding our dreams and supporting our goals.

   
   

10. Encourage us to hold on to what's familiar rather than choose new and different opportunities, stunting our personal and professional growth.

Tribes serve their purpose...until they don't.

But instead of dwelling on the loss, be grateful for what once was and move on. Don't stay where you know you no longer belong.

Never hesitate to connect with fresh, vibrant people and perspectives that help you to thrive as an authentic advocate for your dreams!

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