There are two important topics I have learned in Organizational Behavior of Sport Management that are very similar to experiences have had in my life. These two topics are the subject of Tribes from Seth Godin’s novel “Tribes” and Level 5 Leadership from Jim Collins’ novel “Good to Great”.

The definition of a tribe is “any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.” Based on this definition, tribes exist in many different forms; whether they are businesses, sports teams, non-profit organizations, charity organizations, etc. However, tribes cannot be what they are without following the attributes of leadership, teamwork and generosity. Godin says that “Leaders who set out to give are more productive than leaders who seek to get.” In my senior year in high school, I have experienced tribes as well as leadership that perfectly demonstrates the attributes of tribes.

The tribes I was involved in were sports teams such as the Varsity Men’s Soccer Team as well as student tribes such as the Jackson National Honor Society. In my experience on the soccer team, our goal was to not only win games and the State and Shore Conference finals but to have a good time together and to help the freshman and junior varsity players become leaders. In my experience in the National Honor Society, our goal was to promote academic excellence, service to the community, and leadership for the real world.

These tribes are different regarding ideology and activities they do, but one thing they have in common is that they demonstrate the same attributes that make up an excellent tribe. 

Without these attributes, there would be no leadership or teamwork in the tribe and eventually the tribe would cease to exist. Not only did I have experiences of tribes throughout my life, I have also had experience with Level 5 Leadership. Level 5 Leadership is defined as Level 5 executives who build enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. Through the experience I had with the Varsity Soccer Team and the National Honor Society, I had seen a bit of Level 5 Leadership. The soccer team’s captain had an agenda to lead the team to the State and Shore Conference Finals and win. Unfortunately, we did not win, but the captain did express personal humility which was a big and bold move for a captain.

That kind of leadership is what actually lead the team to the finals in the first place.

If only Rutgers Football and Men’s basketball had that kind of leadership and teamwork they would’ve been an excellent team that is very worth watching on television and spectating at the stadium and the court. Regarding the National Honor Society, the president followed the organization’s agenda to promote academic excellence and create great leaders which was the professional will of a Level 5 leader. There were some instances where followers didn’t follow their roles and broke a few of the organization’s rules, but the president took it upon himself to stop the disorder and take full responsibility for the organization’s mistakes.

The attributes of personal humility and professional will are considered a paradoxical blend because it is impossible to mix them into one single attribute. However, through my experience with both tribes, I was able to see the Level 5 Leadership in the team captain and the president of the National Honor Society. Both leaders didn’t let their ego get in the way of ambition for team and the organization and concern for their success. They also took responsibility for any mistakes or disorder that may have happened in the team and the organization.

This is why in today’s world we all need tribes and leadership like the tribes and leadership I have experienced. If we do not have them, then there would be nothing left to do in our lives and humanity would no longer function as a whole.

Reading both Tribes by Seth Godin and Good to Great by Jim Collins has given me a much more positive outlook on my future. Both books were very powerful and really spoke to me in an influential way.

Godin teaches how to become a leader, and to not be afraid of leading. Collins teaches how to use that leadership in your career and how to not only be good, but also be great. I have been able to relate both of these books to my internship and I find myself referencing the books often. Throughout this paper I will discuss some of my favorite parts of each book and mention ways that I have related the books to my life.

Tribes by Seth Godin is a book about leadership. Godin defines a tribe as a group of people who are connected to one another, a leader and an idea.

Throughout the book Godin encourages readers to find their Tribe, step up, and lead. I found this to be helpful because a lot of people our age struggle with finding that confidence to actually step up and lead. Seth Godin gives examples and encouragement to his readers by explaining how anyone can step up and lead, and ever since reading this book I feel that I have had a little extra confidence and motivation to be a leader.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the section titled “The F Word.” This section reveals the real issue in turning one’s ideas into reality, fear. Many people have good ideas, even great ideas, but may not have the will or confidence to take their idea to the next level.

Godin states, “In a battle between two ideas, the best one doesn’t necessarily win. No, the idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it.”

This quote spoke to me deeply because one of my biggest problems is taking action. I have always let the fear of failure take over my will to lead but ever since reading Tribes, I have a different outlook on leading. Everyone fails, everyone hits speed bumps and everyone needs to learn from their mistakes. If you let fear get in the way of this process, it will be very difficult to lead and become successful. After reading Tribes, I wake up a little more confident, and a little more fearless in leading.

Good to Great by Jim Collins is a great book that gives extensive research about a small fraction of companies that transition from a good company to a truly great company.

As Collins states, it is so difficult to transition from good to great. But with the right operational practices and behaviors, it is possible to become a great company. Collins, like Godin, proves that anyone can become successful and lead. Everyone comes from a different place and background, but we can all find the answers inside and become a truly great leader.
My favorite part of Good to Great is Level 5 Leadership. Collins reveals interviews with some of the “good” and “great” companies that determine the differences between the leaders. He finds that the executives that show Level 5 Leadership display “an unusual mix of intense determination and profound humility.”

These leaders invested a larger portion of their life to their company, worrying about the gain of the company, rather than the personal gain of the individual. These leaders often gave the credit to their teammates, rather than themselves and rarely spoke about themselves. According to Collins, this is what it takes to be a Level 5 Leader, and I couldn’t agree with him more.

In my opinion, it shows a serious amount of strength to become a truly humble person. If one is able to remain humble, while also putting forth an extreme amount of hard work and motivation, you have learned how to become a great leader. These attributes of being a leader apply very well to someone who is leading a company. For me, I can only do so much leading. When it comes to my internship, I try to lead as much as possible.

But I don’t only try to lead, I always refer to Jim Collins level 5 leadership attributes and try to emulate that as best as I can.

As I stated earlier, both Seth Godin’s Tribes and Jim Collins Good to Great spoke to me deeply and I am glad I had the opportunity to read them. I try to take their advice, be less scared, take risks, and remain humble as best I can. There are many lessons to learn as one is growing as a professional and Godin and Collins both tackle many of these lessons. I believe that reading these books has given me a more positive outlook on my life and future and I will continue to reference these books as I grow as a professional.

Out of all the things I have learned about so far in my Organizational Behavior in Sport Management class this semester, my favorite topic and the topic that I can compare to my own life the most is level 5 leadership.

There is something that Collins calls a level 5 hierarchy which is what makes up the concept of level 5 leadership. The first level is a highly capable individual, the next level is a contributing team member, next is competent manager, fourth is an effective leader, and the fifth and final level is the level 5 executive. In order to be a level 5 executive an individual must attain all of the previous four levels of the hierarchy.

Now if I were to compare this hierarchal ladder to my own life, let’s see where I would rank.

The first level is the Highly Capable Individual.

A highly capable individual makes productive contributions through their talent, knowledge, skills, and good work habits. Now if I were to look at myself after reading that definition I would have to most definitely say that I have accomplished level 1 of this hierarchy. I indeed pride myself on my good work habits and my productive contributions with almost every task that I take on.

The next level is the Contributing Team Member.

A contributing team member according to Collins, contributes individual capabilities to the achievement of group objectives and works well with others in a group setting. If I were to take this and apply it to my own life, I would have to say that I have accomplished this level as well. I have played on teams my entire life, worked in groups at work and I have no problem using my talents for the benefit of the group that I am a part of.

The next level of the hierarchy is the Competent Manager.

The competent manager organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of pre-determined objectives. Looking at my own life I can definitely apply this level tom certain aspects. Back when I used to play baseball and basketball in high school I was the captain of my team, or a manager of sorts. I was the leader of both of my teams and sometimes I had to get everyone together and get everyone on the same page so we could accomplish our pre-determined goal(s) (win the league, get to the state playoffs, and make it to the state final).

At the rate I am going you would think that I have attained level 5 executive already, but that is far from true.

The next level is fourth level and it is the Effective Leader.

The effective leader catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards. Looking at my life I can honestly say that I have not attained that level yet. I have never had my own vision that I was able to rally people around and get the most out of them, but who knows maybe I am just not there yet, you’ll have to come back and hear from me in a few years.

The simple fact that I have not attained all four of the previous levels, I cannot be a level 5 executive, because in order to be a level 5 executive you have to embody all four levels of the hierarchy.

I think becoming a level 5 Executive is extremely difficult and not many people attain that. Level 5 leaders have to be able to channel their ego needs away from themselves and rather into the larger goal at hand. I feel like for most people, that is extremely hard to do because who doesn’t want to get all the credit for themselves and solely do things for their own benefit?

It takes a true leader to be able to put their selfish needs aside and do what is needed for the good of the cause or the goal you are trying to achieve. A level 5 leader also has the perfect balance of professional will and personal humility. I feel like that is the most difficult aspect to this hierarchal level.

These two concepts kind of contradict themselves in my opinion because it tells you to do whatever must be done to get the job done, and set a certain standard of success. I am not saying that it is impossible for leaders to do that, but to do that in a humble way and put the company needs before your own is extremely difficult. I know I am not ready for that yet because I am at the stage in my life where if I succeed at something or achieve a goal I want to be recognized for that. I guess that is indeed selfish but I am still young and learning.

I feel like after learning about this level 5 leadership, that I have an upper hand on other people in the job market that I will be competing against come this May after graduation. Although I have not accomplished the feat of becoming a level 5 executive yet, I feel like that I am definitely on the right track and I can set myself up for success. I have the advantage of knowing the steps and how to get to the highest level of the hierarchy. I am the type of person that if I set my mind to something I can and will accomplish anything.

Not many leaders in this world are level 5 leaders, and that is why so many businesses fail these days. They do not have the right person leading them and getting the most out of their employees. Too many leaders in this world are selfish and personal gain is their goal.

From here on out, every morning when I wake up my goal is to attain that level 5 executive and become an effective level 5 leader. I want to make a difference in whatever it is I do in life and I truly believe understanding and trying to attain level 5 leadership will help me along the way.

Throughout the world, there are very few organizations and even sports teams with Level 5 leaders. Level 5 leaders are explained to be an executive in whom extreme personal humility blends paradoxically with intense professional will, according to Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. Having such contradictory characteristics, coming across someone like this is very rare.

I have never run an organization, but I have been in charge of several sports teams. Not in the context of coaching, but rather as captain. During my senior year of high school, I was named captain of my soccer team and also the winter and spring track teams. Being captain of the soccer team is very different than being captain of the track teams. Soccer is much more of a team oriented sport, where track focuses more on individual accomplishments.

I have played soccer my whole life, like most people who choose to write a topic about sports. I was always one of the stand out players on any team I played for, from recreational sports to all the way up to collegiate soccer.

Every position on the soccer field is important in winning a game, but some are more important than others.

For example, in football, the quarterback is the most important player on the field. In soccer, the most important position is the sweeper (center defender), in my opinion. This, coincidentally enough, is the position I play. The sweeper is the player who directs everyone else on the field. The sweeper tells the other players when to step up to the ball, when to pass, when an opposing player is closing in on them, and any other direction that helps them win the game. In addition, the sweeper is the glue that holds the entire defense together. The sweeper is the last line before the opposing team gets to the goalkeeper. In my eyes, it is my job to do everything in my power to protect the goalkeeper and prevent any shots on goal as well as to keep my team motivated to win.

Jim Collins identifies the characteristics common to Level 5 leaders as humility, will, ferocious resolve, and the tendency to give credit to others while assigning blame to themselves. In my senior year, I feel that I exhibited a majority of those characteristics while acting as team captain. Each game we had, I did everything in my power to keep the opposing team away from my goalkeeper and the ball out of our half of the field. Anytime we lost a game or the opposing team scored a goal, it would crush me. I felt that I failed my team, failed my defense and failed my goalkeeper.

It did not matter the reason, as the captain, I felt any type of loss personally.

When we started our run in the state tournament, my coach asked me to start playing another position since our forwards were finding it very difficult to score.  The strategy was to have me play the first half of the game as sweeper to allow my defense to settle into the game, then once the second half began, I would move up to forward. The switch was a key catalyst in changing the way we played our games and helped us win the state sectional championship that year.

I had to ensure my defense was comfortable without me at the helm as I had been there for four years. I also had to be sensitive to the forwards that my moving up was not because any wrong doing on their end, but a change in strategy to surprise our opposition.  As each game went on, my field presence and playing defined the game. The local newspapers would interview me after every game and call me on weekends to discuss how the change in our lineup was driving us closer and closer to the state championship.

As flattered as I may have been, I never took the credit for myself. I always said, and truly believed, that the only reason the switch up was successful was because I had an extremely capable team supporting me. When I moved to forward, that was the first time in 4 years that the defense line had a different sweeper and they were able to hold their own. That was a huge reason we were successful.

Every player on my team was the reason we were successful, not just me.

I always had a tendency to deflect all the credit that came with our wins to my entire team, not just me. But on the other hand, whenever we would lose, it was no one else’s fault but my own. I constantly made sure that my team knew we would not have been successful if it was not for everyone’s contribution.

I was not a perfect Level 5 leader, but looking back on my experiences and learning about what it means to actually be a Level 5 leader, I realized that I had moments that made me feel like one.

Jane first showed symptoms with sloppy handwriting, but soon she could barely stand on her own feet as her calves felt like solid lead weights. Ms. Jane Smith* would soon be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

In the office, her vibrant personality served her colleagues with laughter and smiles. Yet, her work in the scholarship office was only the tip of the iceberg to the monumental impact she had on the Atlanta landscape—through her selfless endeavors over five decades, Ms. Smith had become one of the hardest working humanitarians for our city serving every indigent population possible. Inspired to aspire to such selfless standards, I helped put together an awareness day called Moving Day 5K Walk through the National Parkinson’s Foundation (NPF) in Atlanta alongside the Neuroscience Club (GTNeuro).

It would be a fundraising event that unified families, friends, and communities to emphasize “movement” and share a common goal –help beat Parkinson’s.

The Moving Day project was a valuable learning experience that affirmed my passion for people. This passion and fascination that I developed from working in the community with National Parkinson’s Disease and Ms. Smith turned into a desire to create change and commit to working for people. Taking ideas to the next level, thinking outside the box, and making simple ideas into tangible experiences, I found it motivating to ignite an idea to build something that can help others, putting others in front of myself.

The journey and adventure of this event was especially important to me because I realized that my passion, just like Ms. Smith, was serving people. The idea began as nothing more than a pow-wow between the GTNeuro executive team and public relations managers from NPF. We set lofty goals to raise $100,000 and to have at least 500 people come attend the event. No one in the room believed these goals would be possible–what we wanted to do was lay a small framework for a much larger event in the upcoming years.

Parkinson’s Disease wasn’t something that happened to just one person; it affected an entire community. The purpose of Moving Day would be to showcase that there is hope for the patients and the family members, and that people like Ms. Smith have our support and people rooting for them.

Teams from both GTNeuro as well as National Parkinson’s Foundation were set to execute small tasks. However, getting Moving Day off the ground from ideas on a whiteboard was a monumental hurdle–we still had to reach out to those afflicted with Parkinson’s, local businesses, and put together promotional material to gather a good crowd.

But, this was just the beginning.

We had to recruit volunteers from Georgia Tech, contact event suppliers, and coordinate everything we did with the Georgia Tech Police Department. Even with less than four weeks before the event, we were nowhere near our goal of 500 people attending the event, 100 volunteers, or raising $100,000. Incentivizing students and adults to come out on a cold and early Saturday morning was a simple fix. Jane Smith became the rallying cause of our entire event. Her impact on Georgia Tech and Atlanta over the decades drew hundreds to our event!

My experience partnering with National Parkinson’s Foundation and helping organize this event strengthened not just my ability to communicate, think critically, and solve problems as a leader, but more importantly appreciate leadership as an art. A piece of art has been planned with great detail and complexity; each picture telling a different story, each one unique and beautiful.

So what is the different between creating a breathtaking art piece and practicing leadership? I’ve learned that no two pictures can be the same; no two leadership experiences will be similar, no two conversations with people you work with will be alike. My leadership skills gained from this fundraising event was not defined by the numerous hours of planning or meticulous meetings we had, but it was defined through the different human experiences – each unique and beautiful just like a piece of art. I have learned that in order to be an impactful leader, I cannot just strive for success, I must strive for significance – just like each picture or photo has significance.

When November 9th had come, and though some of us were worried, everyone and everything was in place: volunteers showed up an hour before the event started to set up the booths. The walkers had started lining up at the start line and the 5K walk had started. On the side, we had booths where people were doing Zumba, tango and Pilates showcasing that there are different ways to help people with Parkinson’s Disease. All tents had motor skills tables demonstrating how Parkinson’s Disease affected people.

By the end, the day had been a success. Not only were we able to support Ms. Smith, we were also able to support the hundreds in the Atlanta community afflicted by this disease.

Our event went well with over 700 people attend, 200 volunteers, and raising over $140,000 before the end. We had made a significant impact in unifying a community as well as giving people hope. We did not just lay the framework for events that could be successful in the future, we paved the way for a revolution in the Parkinson’s community.

And in Ms. Jane Smith’s words, “we strove for significance and not success because success was finite, and significance had a ripple effect that never ended.”
*The real name has been removed to protect the identity of the person due to HIPAA.

My 5 Levels of Leadership (as inspired by Jim Collins’s book From Good to Great) 

As a high class Division I athlete I have had a lot of experience involving leadership throughout high school and college. With the changing environments between high school and college I have experienced different types of leadership between myself and others.

The first level is classified as being a Highly Capable Individual, which is someone who makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills, and good work habits. As a top nationally ranked high school javelin thrower I feel I showed this quality throughout my career by always working hard and trying to be the best. I always wanted to get better and shared my knowledge of the event with my teammates who weren’t as talented and needed help. I tried to lead by example and hoped my teammates would follow me and try to put in the same amount of work as I would.

These traits can also be combined with the second level of being a Contributing Team Member by contributing my individual capabilities to help the team and to work well with them. I considered myself almost another coach to them because sometimes our coach had to work with other kids and felt I could help enough for where the kids were and they trusted me because they knew I was good.

Now with the third level being a Competent Manager it is kind of similar to the second level. A competent manager is described as someone who organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives. I feel in college I showed more of this trait than I did in high school because there weren’t as many set team goals but in college our group of javelin throwers have very high expectations. Therefore as the oldest and most experienced thrower competing this year for us I feel I have to show the younger guys a better and more effective ways of doing things with training and also things not to do so we don’t get hurt.

The fourth level is also similar to the third level but just to a more intense pace. This level is called an Effective Leader which is someone who catalyzes commitments to and vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards. This I also feel I have shown through college and being one of the older guys. With being in the B1G conference now we are set to trying to be better athletes so we can compete with the higher athletics. I also try and set good examples because I am one of the few on our team to score at the conference meet and make regionals. With this I want our other athletes to strive to be better so they can make going to these big meets.

The fifth and final level is the Executive and they show someone trying to build enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. This I personally haven’t seen and think this would take a very special person to show, although I am very happy with myself being able to consider myself a level four leader.

We sucked, we were embarrassed, and we were defeated. For six years, I trained my ass, thinking that the outcome will be worth it. When the time came, I was wrong. I suffered for two years. During training, I questioned my ethics and morals among my teammates. Fights broke out people went through the motions. NO ONE cared. We were all sheepwalking. We were recruited to play and win games, but in reality we just showed up to practice and did what were told to do.

At the time, our leaders were hidden. We were faced with high expectations and delivered nothing. When my freshman year ended, we were given a t-shirt at the alumni game and pity “golf claps” from the alumni. The next season was a repeat.

During the spring season of sophomore year, the “cancers” and the “rats” were off the team.

That cleared the air for us, but we were still faced with a challenge. In order for our team to get on the same page we all needed to have a share interest. Yes, you can say that we were all here to play soccer, but that wasn’t good enough. Each person had different views and ideas of how we should play and that was a problem. There was no chemistry. So what did we do? Challenged our ideals. Challenging the status quo allowed everyone to rethink his ideals. That was the hardest thing to do. Seth Godin argues, “The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. But the hardest things is to initiate.” Step one was crossed off.

Now we needed to change the culture. Our past culture was destroyed by selfishness, which led to a losing streak, then partying on weekends, and the cycle continued to repeat itself. In order for our team to get back on a high stature, we had to be passionate for what we stood for. We had to come to practice with a mindset that we WANT to be here and are not FORCED to be here.

“The real power of [a team] has nothing to do with the (external factors) and everything to do with the people. You don’t need a (object) to lead… you only need the desire to make something happen.” And we had that desire. It came from a shared experience.

Our weight trainer changed our mentality.

We suffered through workouts everyday for 15 weeks. It was the most effective thing for our team because we connected. When you suffer for that long with everyone then it clicks in your head that we need to get on board. That suffering turned into a desire. A desire only a few people can understand. A selective group. Our group, our team.

Godin states, “One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group like-minded people.” Once you have a group of individuals that connect, you need to stay committed. Continue to believe in it. Our team believed in the workouts. We believed it will pay off, but there were no grantees. We believed in it because we had faith.

Four months later, my junior season started. We had a winning record; we made the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For our team, that was a step closer to success. A team could be called many things. I never considered it as a tribe, until I understood it’s meaning. People who want success can only get it through shared interests. If no one else cares, how do you plan to exist? Someone else needs to have that shared interest in order for you to make something out of whatever it is.

“A movement is thrilling. It’s the work of many people, all connected, all seeking something better.”

Big thank you to Seth Godin and his work. Tribes has inspired millions of people to lead and be part of something great.