By Clint Bruce
Former U.S. Navy Seal
The purpose of this article is not to describe a difference between Teams and Tribes in structure or organization. The difference is less an administrative one, than it is a difference in what they achieve. It's accomplishment (Tribe), not administration (Team).
You see, in my mind - Teams are just groups of people who have decided to wear the same colors and get on the same bus. They share a page in a program that describes what position they play, or what their career statistics are, or what year of school they are in. A team says you and I agree to be together for a period of time to compete in a particular sport. That's it.
But Tribes… Tribes do something. Tribes transcend organization and individual. Tribes are about something. And we talk about them after they're gone.
In the NFL there are 32 Teams at the beginning of the season, and at the end… only the Tribes are left. The Teams are watching from home while the Tribes play on.
I've always been a member of Tribes. I'm intentional about it. I seek Tribes out because I've always wanted to be part of something bigger than me. To be surrounded by people who are better than me, who need me as much I need them. And I'm like this because I've never wanted to just do average things.
I never wanted to just play football. I wanted to win.
I'm a very average athlete, but I have will. I'm a "try hard kid." I have passion and a deep desire to hang myself out there and suffer if I must for the man next to me who feels the same way. Because I've wanted to be a part of a story people tell after I'm gone. Not the story, but a part of it.
I want to win. I don't have to be the one who scores. I knew quickly I was not fast enough to score touchdowns… but I was tough enough and passionate enough to run down the guy who was fast enough to score. I knew my role. All members of a Tribe know their role. Tribes honor two things: knowing your role and winning the mission.
Nothing else matters. In the SEAL Teams we have a saying - "Two is one, one is none." We say that because we know the things we're trying to do are so hard, that we truly need the man (or men) next to us to get them done. If you're on your own, you're running for your life. A Tribe of two SEALs is a powerful thing. More than two… and get ready world. Same with our Marine brothers, Soldiers, and Airmen. Same with our Police officers, Firefighters, and Rescue personnel. Our true power comes once we know we need the man or woman next to us to do the thing we committed to do.
The gate to great must be walked through with two.
Teams know where they sit on the bus. Tribes know where trophy goes.
Clint Bruce is a former Navy SEAL. He is the co-founder of TRG (a global intelligence and advisory firm), Thirty&3 (a speakers bureau representing combat veterans who have become human performance coaches), and Carry the Load - a foundation with the mission of honoring military, law enforcement, firefighters, and rescue personnel during the month of May. Bruce was also a former collegiate football player (Middle Linebacker -United States Naval Academy) who enjoyed tryouts with both the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens.