Tribe of Mentors: Summary Review
This is a summary review of Tribe of Mentors containing key details about Tribe of Mentors.
What is Tribe of Mentors About?
"Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World" is a book by Tim Ferriss, an American entrepreneur and author. In this book, Ferriss interviews more than 130 of the world's most successful and influential people and shares their insights and advice on life, work, and success.
Tribe of Mentors contains their answers—practical and tactical advice from mentors who have found solutions. Whether you want to 10x your results, get unstuck, or reinvent yourself, someone else has traveled a similar path and taken notes. This book includes many of the people I grew up viewing as idols or demi-gods. Less than 10% have been on my podcast (The Tim Ferriss Show, more than 200 million downloads), making this a brand-new playbook of playbooks.
Summary Points & Takeaways from Tribe of Mentors
Some key summary points and takeaways from the book include:
* Embrace Failure: Many of the people interviewed in "Tribe of Mentors" stress the importance of embracing failure and using it as a learning opportunity. They argue that the ability to recover from failure and keep moving forward is a key component of success.
* Focus on Your Strengths: The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on your strengths and finding ways to leverage them in your work and life. Many of the interviewees advise readers to identify their unique skills and talents and to pursue opportunities that allow them to use these strengths.
* Cultivate Gratitude: Many of the people interviewed in "Tribe of Mentors" emphasize the importance of cultivating gratitude and a positive outlook. They argue that a sense of gratitude can help to increase happiness, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
* Take Action: The book emphasizes the importance of taking action, rather than just talking about your goals or ideas. Many of the interviewees advise readers to take concrete steps towards their goals, even if they are small, and to keep pushing themselves out of their comfort zones.
* Invest in Relationships: The book highlights the importance of investing in relationships, both personal and professional. Many of the interviewees stress the importance of building strong relationships with friends, family, and colleagues, as these relationships can provide support, motivation, and a sense of community.
* Overall, "Tribe of Mentors" is a comprehensive guide to success, filled with practical advice and insights from some of the world's most successful and influential people. It offers a wealth of inspiration and guidance for anyone looking to achieve their goals and live a fulfilling life.
Who is the author of Tribe of Mentors?
Timothy Ferriss is an American entrepreneur, investor, author, podcaster, and lifestyle guru. He became well-known through his "4-Hour" self-help book series including the 4-Hour Work Week, the 4-Hour Body, and the 4-Hour Chef, that focused on lifestyle optimizations, but he has since reconsidered this approach.
Tribe of Mentors Summary Notes
Summary Note: The Power of Books in Personal Growth and Success
In the search for success, we often turn to mentors and leaders to learn from their experiences and habits. However, one habit that we might not think of right away is reading. According to the book “Tribe of Mentors” by Tim Ferriss, many successful people rely on books as a source of inspiration and guidance.
Books can offer personal and spiritual guidance that helps us navigate the challenges of life. For instance, Matt Ridley, a renowned British journalist, found his answer to the question “What is life?” in Richard Dawkins’s “The Selfish Gene,” which revolutionized how people write and think about evolutionary biology. Meanwhile, talk-show host Jimmy Fallon and former NFL star Terry Crews value Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” for the insight it provides on what’s truly important in life.
Sometimes, even children’s books can contain life-changing insights. TED Talk curator Chris Anderson credits C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” with igniting his imagination, while “The Monster at the End of the Book” by Jon Stone continues to be a touchstone for Jimmy Fallon on the subject of bravery.
Books can also help us develop specific skills or traits that are necessary for success. Social science researcher Brené Brown was deeply impacted by Harriet Lerner’s “Why Won’t You Apologize?,” which revolutionized how she approached apologizing. Kevin Kelly, the co-founder of Wired magazine, dropped out of school after reading Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead” and learned the importance of self-reliance.
Reading books that inspire and stimulate us can help us grow as individuals and succeed in our personal and professional lives. Whether we’re looking for guidance on life’s big questions or seeking to develop specific skills, books can be a valuable resource for personal growth and success.
Summary Note: Embracing Failure: How It Can Help You Grow and Succeed
Failure is a common experience in life, and it can be a painful one. However, it is also an opportunity for growth and improvement. In Tribe of Mentors, the author shares how many successful people have learned from their failures and have been motivated to make improvements. For instance, Rick Rubin, a renowned music producer, learned that you cannot control how your work will be received, and the best you can do is to stay true to your standards and make it the best you can. Steven Pressfield, an author and screenwriter, turned to Hollywood after years of rejection from publishers, which gave him the opportunity to hone his craft and eventually achieve success. Leo Babauta, a blogger, was able to turn his life around by developing healthy habits after years of failure.
Furthermore, failure can also provide artistic freedom and remove the burden of expectations. The Beastie Boys' second album, Paul's Boutique, did not do well commercially, but it gave the group the chance to escape the public eye and focus on their music. This led to their successful third album, Check Your Head. Additionally, failure can help reduce the fear of failure and make it easier to take risks and pursue true innovation. Patton Oswalt, a comedian, recommends getting that first failure under your belt to help you grow.
Therefore, rather than fearing failure, it is important to embrace it and learn from it. Failure can be a powerful motivator for self-improvement, and it can provide new opportunities for artistic expression and innovation. When you learn to pick yourself up after a setback and continue to pursue your goals, you are on the path to success.
Summary Note: Not All Investments Are Traditional: main idea from Tribe of Mentors
Tribe of Mentors is a book that provides insights into the success stories of accomplished individuals from various fields. One of the main ideas discussed in the book is that not all worthwhile investments are traditional ones. Investments can be more than just money in the stock market; they can be investments in oneself, others, or even a new business venture.
For mentors, investing in oneself is one of the best investments that can be made. By doing so, individuals can take their careers to the next level. This investment can take many forms, such as learning a new language or practicing meditation. Therapist and relationship guru Esther Perel, for instance, invested in herself by learning nine languages, which enables her to communicate fluently with people from different parts of the world.
Investments in other people can also be highly rewarding. For example, Jason Fried, CEO of software company Basecamp, paid for a friend's first year's rent when he was starting a new gym, with no expectation of ever getting a cent back in return. Fried believes that giving to friends without expecting anything in return has been some of the most fulfilling moments of his life.
However, nothing is more important than investing in oneself. Huffington Post founder, Arianna Huffington, learned this the hard way after collapsing from exhaustion in 2007. She invested in her own well-being and took a break, which she believes greatly benefitted her future work and personal life.
Meditation is one of the most powerful investments one can make in oneself. Several successful individuals, such as Rick Rubin, Jimmy Fallon, and investor Ray Dalio, regularly practice meditation. Meditation provides personal insight, a sense of fulfillment, and sharpened focus, making it easier to overcome challenges.
Summary Note: Keys to Self-Improvement from Mentors: Community, Prioritization, and Perspective
In the book "Tribe of Mentors", author Timothy Ferriss interviews successful people from various fields and delves into their methods of self-improvement. One key theme that emerges is that self-improvement can come from building a community, prioritizing, or seeing things differently.
Many of the mentors interviewed found that building a community around their self-improvement goals was helpful. For example, Rick Rubin and Neil Strauss built a community of friends around their gym and exercise routine, making it easier to stay motivated and excited about exercising. Others, like Jason Fried, found that prioritizing was key to self-improvement. Fried realized that he was using exercise to justify other bad habits and instead reduced his workout schedule to find a better balance. Dr. Brené Brown prioritized good sleep habits, which she found did more to improve her life than any diets or exercise plans.
Learning to see things differently was another key to self-improvement for many of the mentors. Janna Levin found that adjusting her outlook to see obstacles as opportunities for learning and improvement brought her more happiness. Bear Grylls, on the other hand, embraced living in the moment and not wasting time being fearful or wishing for something else.
Summary Note: Learning to Say No: Managing Work Overload
In Tribe of Mentors, author Tim Ferriss seeks advice from successful individuals on how they manage the difficulties that come with success. One common challenge they face is work overload, which can lead to stress, burnout, and a lack of productivity. To deal with this, many of the mentors emphasize the importance of taking time to reset and re-center oneself. They recommend techniques such as taking walks, forest bathing, napping, having sex, and practicing gratitude.
However, sometimes saying no is necessary to avoid overextending oneself. The mentors offer various strategies for declining requests, such as employing others to do it for you, asking yourself if you're only saying yes out of fear or guilt, imagining the event is happening tomorrow, and saying yes a certain percentage of the time to stay open to new opportunities. By learning to prioritize their own needs and boundaries, the mentors demonstrate that saying no can be a valuable tool for managing work overload and achieving success.
Summary Note: Finding Success by Focusing on Your Passion and the Present
Tribe of Mentors emphasizes the importance of not being paralyzed by fears about the future and instead focusing on the present moment while pursuing your passion. Rather than being distracted by worries about where you'll be in five years, mentors suggest making the most of each day, trusting that the future will take care of itself.
Mentors like Gary Vaynerchuk and Leo Babauta caution against letting uncertainty paralyze you and instead suggest using it to spark motivation and determination. The consensus is that success comes when you're living the life you truly love, and according to Tony Hawk, this means following your passion. However, Kevin Kelly emphasizes the importance of devoting time to mastering a skill related to your passion, as this opens up job opportunities that pay you to exercise that skill.
If you don't know what your passion is, mentors suggest not panicking. With the fast-changing world we live in, your dream job may not even exist ten or twenty years from now. Therefore, it's best to develop emotional intelligence and resilience, which will help you stay strong and balanced in an uncertain future.
Lastly, mentors stress the importance of being respectful and practicing good manners, regardless of how successful you become. Saying "please" and "thank you," as Maria Sharapova suggests, goes a long way in building positive relationships and achieving success.
Summary Note: The Danger of Blindly Following Trendy Advice
In the age of social media and the internet, advice is everywhere. From self-help gurus to industry experts, it's easy to find tips and tricks for just about anything. However, the problem with advice is that not all of it is good, and blindly following it can have negative consequences.
One of the main themes in Tribe of Mentors is that it's important to think critically about the advice you receive. In particular, mentors caution against adopting trendy techniques or ideas without considering their effectiveness. Ed Coan warns against trusting the new and trendy, emphasizing the importance of sticking to proven fundamentals. Similarly, Mark Bell warns against trying to do too much, as this can lead to burnout and decreased performance.
Mentors also emphasize the importance of focusing on the craft itself, rather than the hype and social media following that often comes with it. Steven Pressfield argues that true satisfaction comes from deep engagement with your work over a significant period of time, rather than superficial rewards from social media. Lewis Cantley advocates for more teamwork and sharing of findings in scientific research, rather than hoarding information for personal gain.
At the same time, mentors caution against blindly following the advice of experts or industry insiders. Ray Dalio warns against investing in a market just because others are doing it, while Scott Belsky argues that real industry revolutions come from outsiders who break established rules.
Summary Note: Value Yourself and Others
In the final main idea from the book Tribe of Mentors, the mentors provide advice on valuing yourself and others. Many of them emphasized the importance of being good to one another, with Marc Benioff urging people to help their local public schools, and Sam Harris encouraging reasonableness in interactions with others. Other mentors advised staying open-minded and seeking out less obvious opportunities, such as joining a struggling team, while not beating oneself up over missed opportunities.
Ultimately, the mentors remind readers to be their own leader and to value their unique, original selves. This involves not comparing oneself to others or letting the opinions of others define who you are. As Maria Sharapova suggests, striving to be your authentic self is the key to success, and you may even become a mentor to others in the future.
Book details
- Print length: 561 pages
- Genre: Business, Nonfiction, Self Help
What is a good quote from Tribe of Mentors?
Top Quote: “Never let a good crisis go to waste. It’s the universe challenging you to learn something new and rise to the next level of your potential.” (Meaning) - Tribe of Mentors Quotes, Tim Ferriss
What do critics say?
Here's what one of the prominent reviewers had to say about the book: "If you read one self-help book this year, let this be it. If you have always hated self-help books, this one will change your mind." — Viv Groskop, The Pool
* The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any published quotes, chapters, or takeaways. If you're interested in furthering your personal development, I invite you to check out my list of favorite personal development books page. On this page, you'll find a curated list of books that have personally impacted my life, each with a summary and key lessons.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
