Is Your Tribe Eagles or Turkeys?

Who is your tribe of people that you spend the most time with?

We hear about tribes in the business world it seems everywhere. So what is a tribe?

Seth Godin defines a tribe as:

a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.

Your tribe is the people that you surround yourself with. The question: “Is your Tribe Eagles or Turkeys?” is actually a trick question.

My guess is you have both.

Eagles Eagles are those people who support and encourage you in your endeavors. As my friend Penny Alleman says, they are the wind beneath your wings. Your eagles are the people who both push and pull you to be the best version of yourself. They may be your mentors or coaches paving the way. They could be your peers who are also driven in their endeavors. Eagles know that they have to take imperfect action to effect change and move forward. Action is their theme.

Turkeys Turkeys are those people who drag you down, the energy vampires. They are the people who you wonder if they have any common sense, the slackers, the people living in the past. Turkeys are the complainers and whiners who are all talk and no action. They waffle. They are the ones who throw people under the bus so that they look good or have less than ethical means of accomplishing things or running their business. (You have to watch turkeys…I always remember when my Gram told me to get my carrot out of the garden. I was probably 3 or 4 years old and went out to the garden by myself and pulled my carrot. When I turned around, the turkeys were there in my mind chasing me…in reality they were following me because they wanted the carrot.) Here’s the interesting thing about turkeys…they have the potential to become Eagles if they choose…

The question is important when you consider the statement by Jim Rohn where he notes that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Take a moment to think about who you spend time with…

• Are they individuals and business owners who are doing what you want to accomplish in your business?
•  Are they individuals who see your potential?
• Are they Team members who get your vision, playing their A-game to get the business to the next level?
• Are they people who tear you down?
• Are they complainers who never do anything of significance?
• Are they B and C Team member dragging your business down, just there to get a paycheck?
• Are your customers and clients individuals that you would like to spend time with outside of work? Are they eagles or turkeys?

This list could go on… We have the choice of who we spend time with (most of the time at least!) Take a moment this weekend to evaluate who you are surrounding yourself with? How is this effecting your business?

My challenge to you…surround yourself with eagles…