Part Two presents the seven principles that any tribal leader can implement in a growing or emerging community. You may notice that communities you value already use some or all of these principles even though you may not have recognized it before. Some principles may sound surprising and unnecessary, but on further reflection you’ll probably realize that these principles are already present, though perhaps undistinguished in your communities. The principles we will explore in detail are:
1. Boundary: The line between members and outsiders.
2. Initiation: The activities that mark a new member.
3. Rituals: The things we do that have meaning.
4. Temple: A place set aside to find our community.
5. Stories: What we share that allows others and ourselves to know our values.
6. Symbols: The things that represent ideas that are important to us.
7. Inner Rings: A path to growth as we participate.
It’s not necessary that you apply all these principles to your community, and certainly not right away. Only fairly mature communities will have thought out and included all of them. They’re simply presented as tools to use when you want to strengthen what you have at whatever level you’re at today. I admire organizations like Weight Watchers, CrossFit, and Alcoholics Anonymous, all of whom exemplify many of these principles. They show how a secular, even for-profit enterprise can authentically bring together like-valued people to serve. As you read about the seven principles, you’ll see both how they’ve already been employed in your favorite communities and how you can strengthen the way you use them. Ideally, finding ways to use these principles should be fun. Depending on what you’ve already grown, you may have members desperately waiting for you to use these principles and you don’t even know it.