An interesting side-effect of the election of Barack Obama can be seen in the behavior of the Firearms Enthusiast Tribe. Regardless of how you feel about firearms or politics - sales of firearms, ammunition and accessories are at record levels.
Why? The Firearms Tribe is well organized, passionate, and very serious about their rights. President elect Obama is viewed by many in this tribe as a threat to the very existence of the tribe. Fear can be a great tribal motivator, and in this case, the members of this tribe are motivated to levels we’ve never seen before.
Interestingly, Mr. Obama didn’t run his campaign as an anti-gun candidate. Aside from a few anti-gun remarks and his voting record - he’s not pledged to rid the world of guns or introduce any threatening anti-gun legislation.
So what? Why is this important? If you're in business, work for a business, perhaps you blog or whatever - it’s critical to understand the intricacies of tribal behavior. In this case, a perceived fear - justified or not - has the power to motivate a tribe to take action in ways never before seen.
This is very powerful! Don’t underestimate the power of tribal behavior in today’s world. You might find your actions having an effect opposite of your intentions. You might find a way to harness this power? Regardless, don’t ignore it - it won’t ignore you.
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