The Three Warriors at Work

Slogans do not shape workplace culture, but mindsets and actions do.

Every workplace has tribes. Some tribes are based on job titles and teams, but the most important ones are built on mindsets.

There’s another layer most people forget:

Tribes exist at multiple levels. 

•  Your team is a tribe.
•  Your department is a tribe.
•  The entire organization is a tribe.

Each tribe has:

•  Shared tasks, pressures, goals, wins, and losses
•  Language, norms, shortcuts, and loyalties
•  Its own identity and culture

When these layers stay aligned, work feels connected.
When they do not stay aligned, you get silos, turf battles, and people acting like they are on different planets.

Inside each of these layers, you will find the three warrior mindsets:

1. The Lone Warrior

"I am great, and everyone else is questionable."
They want autonomy, prefer working solo, and often become the hero or the bottleneck.
Strength: skill
Struggle: collaboration

2. The Tribal Warrior

"My team is great, and everyone else is questionable."
They have strong loyalty and strong identity, but sometimes create friction across departments.
Strength: unity
Struggle: cross-functional work

3. The Universal Warrior

"We are all connected. Iron sharpens iron."
They collaborate, share knowledge, bridge gaps, and think beyond silos.
Strength: alignment
Struggle: burnout from being everyone's bridge

Each tribe exists in every workplace.
The goal is to grow into strong tribes by moving from solo to silo to synergy.
That is where real progress happens.

Which warrior mindset do you bring into the room?