In this New Era of Exclusionary Tribalism, Success May Require You to Choose a Side

All of us are members of a variety of tribes, either by birth or by choice. Our tribes provide us with a sense of belonging, identity, and purpose. Tribes can be familial, ethnic, religious, national, military, collegiate, professional, corporate, and political, among others. Some of us are devoted members of our respective tribes. Others of us are loosely affiliated. It depends upon the importance of the various tribes to our core values and wellbeing.

Being a member of one or more tribes can help us advance our career or grow our business if we are self-employed. Most tribes are inclusionary and tolerant of other tribes, but that may be changing. There is a trend towards exclusionary tribalism. Some tribes will only associate with the truly faithful and loyal. This could have a significant impact on your company's prospects for long-term success.

Over my lifetime I’ve witnessed firsthand how being a member of a tribe is good for business and good for career advancement. People in power have given me preference over others because I was either White, Irish, Christian, American, a graduate of their Alma Mater, a member of their Fraternity, or a member in good standing of several of these tribes. Tribes often overlap and have similar values and mutual interests.

People like to help and support members of their tribe.

Now, tribal favoritism works both ways. I’ve also lost out to my competitors when I was not a member of the decision maker’s tribe and my competitor was. This is a fact of life.

I’m not saying anything you probably have not lived yourself. However, most people will agree that there is usually a caveat to tribal favoritism. The caveat or qualifier is usually, “All other things being equal.”

This is where meritocracy has historically neutralized the inherent advantages of tribalism.

Most power brokers and decision makers are not going to choose a member of their tribe over a non-member if the member is woefully unqualified. They love their tribe, but they love winning more. That’s how they got to be power brokers and decision makers.

Business is business, after-all. If there is one thing that transcends tribalism, it’s commerce. People of different tribes have always traded with one another, even if they don’t like each other much. Just listen to the ongoing rhetoric between the United States and China. Power brokers in most tribes will usually hire, promote, and do business with people affiliated with other tribes over their own members, when those non-members are smarter, harder working, and have a reputation for consistently delivering better value.

At least until now.

There is growing evidence that the “All other things being equal” meritocracy caveat no longer holds much sway in some tribes. It has been replaced by the “You are either with us or against us” ideology. Several prominent thought leaders have written about this shift. They say it’s not an aberration but a long-term trend.

I’ve witnessed this shift in my own business and personal dealings over the last several years. Clients have instructed me not to bring them a buyer or investor if they profess to belong to a certain tribe. Certain family members have refused to attend family gatherings because other family members who have declared for a different tribe were going to be there. “We will only come if THEY will not be there!” To see some family members these days we must EXCLUDE other family members.

A colleague of mine consults with a small wealth advisory firm. The firm struggled for years to get and keep high net worth clients. Out of desperation for growth, they publicly announced they would only take clients who were committed members of a certain political tribe. Their business boomed. It isn’t that they merely prefer members of the tribe, they expressly EXCLUDE potential clients who are declared members of the other political tribe. “We don’t want any of THEM!”

Andrew Ross Sorkin recently wrote a piece about what the world will look like in the next 20 years, based on forecasts he and his staff have conducted. These forecasts were done so that investors have insights into where to place financial bets as the future unfolds. He writes:

“Brands will be red or blue. Major brands have become increasingly entangled in social and political debates, and, with the country unlikely to become any less polarized, it is perhaps inevitable that corporate America splits into two .”

Many decision makers aren’t even subtle about it anymore. They come right out and say, “If you are not in my tribe, I have no interest in hiring you or doing business with you.” Don’t even bother applying. You can try suing, but good luck proving it.

I know, I know, it’s stupid, unfair, and probably illegal in some cases, but it is what it is. It’s a sad state of affairs. Most of us were hoping things would get back to “normal” after the last election, but things have only gotten worse.

This shift toward exclusionary tribalism may have long term implications for your career.

If you are a professed member of a tribe, you may have no chance of advancing in a company filled with people who are professed members of a tribe that literally hates your tribe.

If you are a hiring manager trying to attract the best talent, but you or your company have declared for a certain tribe, the talent that hates your tribe is not going to apply no matter how sweet the offer.

If you are building a business, your potential customers are going to scour your social media posts and interrogate your suppliers and current customers to determine whether they will give you their business, based upon your tribal affiliations. If you are not a dedicated member of their tribe, you can kiss their business goodbye even if your solution is vastly superior.

If you try to walk the middle line and profess no allegiance to a tribe, decision makers are likely to label you spineless and hold you in contempt. You’re like the Ferry Boat operator in the movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales. You sing I Wish I Was In Dixie Land when ferrying the Confederates and The Battle Hymn Of The Republic when ferrying the Yankees. Everyone hates that guy almost as much as they hate members of the other tribe. It’s not unlike some religious tribes that loathe atheists and agnostics even more than they loathe people of other religious tribes.

Exclusionary tribalism is acerbated by the convergence of many small, semi-related tribes, into one or more mega tribes. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. These small disparate tribes have banded together in solidarity against other mega tribes they believe exist contrary to their core values or economic interests. To these various mega tribes, it’s a life-or-death struggle.

In this new era of Exclusionary Tribalism, there may no longer be any middle ground. There is no win-win. Cross-tribal commerce, relationships, and good business may no longer prevail. Diversity, inclusion, and meritocracy may die unceremonious deaths.

Choose your tribes wisely.