As work becomes more distributed, digital, and fast-moving, one question keeps surfacing: why does community matter so much at work right now? The answer is simple and profound. People no longer want to belong only to companies; they want to belong to something meaningful. Remote and hybrid models have removed proximity, but they’ve intensified the human need for connection. In today’s workplace, community is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a core driver of engagement, trust, and performance.
Seth Godin on Community in the Modern Workplace
Seth Godin has explored community and belonging for decades, most notably in Tribes. When I caught up with him at the World Business Forum in New York following his keynote, his message was consistent and timely. Community does not happen by accident. It’s created through intentional decisions about who you serve, what you stand for, and the change you want to make. In his latest work, This Is Strategy, Godin reframes community as a strategic choice, not a byproduct of culture. That distinction matters more than ever at work.
Start Small to Build Real Belonging at Work
One of Godin’s central ideas is the “smallest viable audience.” Rather than chasing scale, leaders should focus on serving a specific group deeply. At work, this means designing communities around shared purpose, not broad appeal. When leaders try to include everyone at once, connection weakens. When they start small, belonging strengthens. Strong communities grow outward, not upward.
Why Strategy Shapes Workplace Community
Godin argues that community building is inseparable from strategy. Strategy, in his view, is not a list of tactics but a long-term philosophy of choice. Who matters? Why them? What change are you trying to create together? His well-known idea—“people like us do things like this”—is not about demographics, but shared values and behaviors. At work, this defines culture more powerfully than any mission statement. Communities are not discovered accidentally; they are designed deliberately.
How Communities Grow Inside Organizations
According to Godin, communities grow when members invite others into something worth talking about. That only happens when the experience is genuinely meaningful. In the workplace, engaged employees become ambassadors when they feel seen and valued. Systems, rituals, and norms all shape how that engagement spreads. This is not surface-level branding—it’s infrastructure. When people understand how the community works, they know how to belong.
Empathy as the Foundation of Workplace Community
Godin describes empathy as the bridge between strategy and community. In modern organizations, empathy is not a soft skill—it’s a strategic one. Leaders must understand why people care, not just what they do. Today’s employees belong to multiple communities at once, inside and outside of work. Attempting to force uniform thinking undermines trust. Empathy allows for difference while still creating cohesion.
The Role of Productive Tension in Community Leadership
Strong communities don’t avoid tension—they use it purposefully. Godin explains that leadership requires creating direction, which naturally introduces tension. This is not about conflict, but momentum. Without a clear stance or point of view, participation becomes passive. Productive tension gives people something to move toward together. At work, this clarity transforms communities from discussion spaces into engines of progress.
Building Community That Actually Matters at Work
In recent years, many organizations have confused community with audience size. More followers, more platforms, more noise. Seth Godin’s insight is a reminder that real community is built intentionally, not counted superficially. It starts small, grows strategically, and is fueled by purpose and empathy. As work continues to fragment, leaders who invest in meaningful community will stand out. Because in the modern workplace, belonging isn’t optional—it’s essential.
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