Finding a New Tribe: Why Communities Matter More Than You Think

When people leave the military, one question almost always follows:

“What are you going to do next?”

It’s a reasonable question, and one I wrestled with after leaving the Royal Navy following nearly 25 years of service.

We’re conditioned to think in terms of careers: roles, promotions, qualifications and organisations. We spend years building expertise and progressing through professional hierarchies, so it’s natural to focus on what comes next.

But looking back on my transition into consulting, I’ve come to believe it isn’t the most important question.

A better one might be:

“Where will you find your next tribe?”

Because while careers provide work, communities provide something deeper. They offer belonging, connection and a shared sense of purpose.

 

Leaving More Than a Job

 

For most of my career, I didn’t just work in the Royal Navy.

I belonged to a community with its own language, traditions some of which still baffle me, values and shared experiences, both good and bad.

We didn’t always agree, but we understood one another. That sense of identity extended across the wider Armed Forces, where despite our differences and rivalries, we respected and valued each other.

Many of my strongest friendships, professional relationships and learning opportunities emerged from that shared environment.

What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time was how much of my growth came through informal networks rather than formal structures.

For example, I applied to join the first cohort of the Percy Hobart Fellowship because a fellow instructor at the Submarine School knew of my interest in innovation, technology and leadership, and flagged the opportunity when it appeared.

The programme not only challenged my thinking but introduced me to an exceptional network across Defence that continues to influence me today.

In many ways, it also helped lay the foundations for the Defence Innovation Champions Network, created to connect innovators across Defence, share opportunities and collaborate on solving meaningful challenges, creating solutions that genuinely make a difference.

Like most institutions, the Royal Navy has an organisational chart with reporting lines, specialisations and formal communication channels.

But the real exchange of ideas often happens through relationships built around shared interests and purpose, often outwith the bounds of the hierarchical structure.

The Defence Innovation Champions Network was one example. Its value wasn’t its structure but its ability to connect people across silos, chains of command and rank structures, enabling collaboration between individuals who might otherwise never have met or worked together.

Leaving the military meant leaving more than a job to me.

It meant leaving a tribe.

Like many people making a major career transition, I initially focused on practical questions:

• What role should I pursue?
• Which organisations should I target?
• Would my skills translate?
• Would I fit into a culture outside of the military, or would I always feel slightly out of place?

Those questions mattered, but what ultimately made the biggest difference was people. Because underneath those practical questions was something less tangible, and harder to articulate at the time:

“Where would I belong?”

 

The Power of Informal Networks

 

My current role at BetterGov began with a conversation. A fellow veteran saw a potential fit and made an introduction. That introduction led to another conversation, then another.

Eventually, it led to an opportunity aligned not only with my experience but also with my values.

Looking back, many of the most significant opportunities in my life have followed the same pattern.

Not through formal applications.

Not through recruitment campaigns.

Through relationships.

In my case, that journey began when Morgan “Mogsy” introduced me to BetterGov. At the time, I was exploring life after the military and speaking with a range of organisations. What stood out with BetterGov wasn’t simply the work; it was the people.

The conversations felt different. Rather than focusing solely on roles, responsibilities or credentials, they centred on purpose, impact and how people could contribute to solving meaningful public-sector challenges. There was a genuine sense of curiosity, collaboration and shared ambition to make government services work better for those who needed them.

The more people I met, the more familiar it felt. Not because it resembled the military, but because it reflected qualities that help people thrive together: trust, shared values and a willingness to support one another.

In many ways, I hadn’t just found a new role.

I’d found a new tribe.

 

Why Networks Matter in the Age of AI

 

Research helps explain why this matters.

Sociologist Mark Granovetter’s work on The Strength of Weak Ties showed that many opportunities come not through our closest relationships but through wider networks that connect us to new information, perspectives and possibilities.

These networks act as bridges between individuals, organisations and ideas.

They help knowledge flow, opportunities emerge and, perhaps most importantly, give people a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves.

Organisational theorist Etienne Wenger described these types of groups as communities of practice; people brought together not by reporting lines, but by shared interests, shared learning and a desire to improve. Looking back, many of the most influential communities in my own career fit that description. They weren’t created by organisational design. They emerged because people cared about similar challenges and wanted to learn from one another.

This idea has become increasingly important in my MBA research.

As organisations explore artificial intelligence, big data and digital transformation, discussions naturally focus on technology. Yet technology alone rarely creates meaningful change. People do.

The organisations that adapt most effectively combine technology with strong human networks.

Communities of practice.

Staff networks.

Innovation networks.

Groups like these are connected not just by reporting lines but by shared purpose and learning.

The more I study these systems, the more convinced I become that networks are becoming one of the most important organisational capabilities of the future.

 

Building Cognitive Networks

 

One concept that has particularly captured my attention is cognitive networks: the relationships through which knowledge, expertise and ideas flow across an organisation. While the term may sound academic, the principle is simple: organisations perform better when they connect the right people, knowledge and perspectives at the right time.

This feels especially relevant in the public sector, where complex challenges rarely fit neatly within organisational boundaries. The ability to draw on diverse expertise, share learning and collaborate across teams may prove just as important as any new technology.

In that sense, the future may belong not only to organisations with the best tools but to those with the strongest networks.

 

Communities That Shaped My Journey

 

Today, I remain grateful for the communities that have shaped my journey.

The Royal Navy, particularly the Submarine Service.

The Percy Hobart Fellowship, which opened my eyes to how successful start-ups innovate and scale.

The Defence Innovation Network, which showed me how quickly strangers can become collaborators and how rapidly diverse groups can solve problems when united by shared values.

Warwick Business School, which gave me the academic tools to better understand organisational structures and networks.

BetterGov, which took a chance on hiring me and provided a new sense of purpose.

Each has influenced who I am becoming.

Each has created opportunities that would never have appeared on an organisational chart.

And each has reinforced a simple lesson.

Careers matter.

Skills matter.

Experience matters.

But communities matter too, perhaps more than we realise.

So if you’re considering your next move, whether in your career or in life, don’t just ask:

“What’s next?”

Ask instead:

“Where will I find my next tribe?”

 

Final Thoughts: Find Your Tribe

 

Because the opportunities that shape your future often begin with the people who help you belong.

If you’re leading a team or organisation through change, the question is worth asking at every level: are you building an org chart, or are you building a tribe? At BetterGov, we help public sector leaders identify and strengthen the informal networks already doing the real work — turning hidden communities of practice into deliberate organisational capability. If that’s a conversation worth having, get in touch

Find your tribe, and you may just find your future.

As for my future, I’m going to carry on researching and exploring these topics and sharing my thoughts with you along the way.