Core Tips for New & Aspiring Leaders
Volunteer leadership on 7 Cups is a unique and rewarding experience. You can learn valuable interpersonal and professional skills to carry into your life and have helped nurture our community in the process. Our leaders are the backbone of support to the daily operations of our platform, and thousands of caring volunteers over the years have built up and shaped our community today.
The leadership experience is also one of constant learning. Being mostly peer-powered, there’s always something new to pick up. I’d like to impart some of the basics that are often asked about.
Self-care
If you need to take a break for any reason at all, please do! Let the community know in our official Farewell/Break/Return post, and bookmark it to update when you return!
If you’re on a team, inform the respective leads and anyone else who may miss you!
A note on changing, leaving, or returning to roles
There are many valid reasons to step down from a leadership role. Perhaps you've achieved your goals, need a change of pace, or simply want to focus on different aspects of the community. It's important to be honest with yourself and put your needs first. Your team will not be disappointed in you; you’re not letting anyone down. We risk burnout if we continue to do something we’re not in a position to do. We would be proud of you for knowing your limits and not overextending yourself — this is a critical part of setting boundaries.
The door does not close behind you when you step away or step down. You can always return.
Leadership on 7 Cups is not a linear or fixed path. We support you at every stage in your journey.
Outreach
Outreach in the context of 7 Cups is the act of proactively communicating to inform or engage a specific group of people, to build relationships, collaborate, raise awareness, or promote an initiative.
Want to contact people who might be a good fit for your project? Want to let people know about a new initiative? Looking for feedback? Outreach is your biggest tool, proven most effective through PMs.
To learn more about conducting outreach, see our general guide!
Note: Teams may have their own guides on how to do outreach in their specific domains so ask your leaders!
Team leads: If you can focus most of your effort on 1-1 effective outreach (follow the guide), make sure to create a personalized message for your target audience and pair it with speedy onboarding, you will increase the possibility of getting many more leaders!
The only downside is it can be tedious. However, Project Agents are great stepping-stone roles and they could act as outreachers for your programs.
Communication is Everything!
Communication is the bridge that connects every one of us. We depend on clear communication to know what’s happening in each other’s worlds, to meet deadlines, to avoid misunderstandings, and work together better. In my experience, all the biggest problems usually stem from a lack of communication, but thankfully this is a very fixable problem if we simply talk! And believe me, there is no such thing as over-communication here!
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I hope this advice helps you in your journey as a leader with us! Please add more in the replies below!
@Heather225
Such wonderful tips, H. Thanks for sharing!❤
@Heather225
Thank you for sharing , informative post!😊
@Heather225
❤️❤️❤️
@Heather225
Thank you H for this insightful post 💓
@Heather225
Hi H! 😊 ❤️ Many thanks for this for this incredibly thoughtful and well written forum post. I quickly responded earlier however, I did bookmark this as I knew I wanted to revisit it, read it over a few more times. So many of the things that you said truly resonate with me.
I think these are great core tips for new and aspiring leaders as well as for some of us that have been around here for a bit longer. 😊 Going back to "basics" and revisiting things can be good for all of us!
Thank you for the reminder that I matter around here, that we all matter! ❤️ Thank you for the reminder that I am a leader here in the community and what it is that it should mean to me! "Our leaders are the backbone of the support to the daily operations of our platform". You "see me" and you "see" each and every one of us! Quite impactful! ❤️
It kind of is a pivotal moment for me to hear that beautiful sentence and directly from you! ❤️ I guess I really am. I guess I really am part of the backbone and support of our daily operations! Thank you for making me feel valued today! Thank you for making me feel needed and wanted. With that comes an even higher level of "pride in ownership" if I am truly integral to the process of the day to day operations.
Also, it was a beautiful moment for me to hear how it is that you feel about communication and I could not agree with you more! Coming together and communicating with an open heart and open mind, first seek to understand and only then to be understood could really help to fix a great deal of problems. It could heal old wounds, clear up issues and for many of us to realize that we are all playing on the same team and want the same things. One would have be very forthcoming as well as being able to receive the honesty of another (or their truth).
Loss of the "ego" would be integral to the process as well as coming to the table with a personal sense of readiness and ready for growth. You have to make it safe for someone to tell you how it is that they really feel, how they feel things went off the track and be ready for constructive feedback no matter how high it is on the "food chain" we may be around here. If you give it a chance, you just might learn a lot about yourself, how you are perceived and where there is work to be done on your leadership skills.
With relationships come adversity and this we must accept. There will be problems from time to time but, it's how you address them and work through them that is key. I truly have to wonder how many amazing teammates there could be around here that dropped roles or backed away for fear of not being heard, because they felt mistreated, that felt the person they directly reported to just didn't understand, they were reaching, wanted more communication but the communication never came.
Having said that, some "ships" will be broken beyond repair. Some will be unreasonable and illogical and realizing that is good also. Best to not revisit and best to not put ones self in harms way. One cannot "nail jello to a tree" and knowing the difference, having that level of discernment is also a great leadership trait.
Thanks again H for this amazingly insightful forum post. It felt good for the soul! ❤️
*high fives* 😊 and *hugs* ❤️
@SparkyGizmo
some of your posts get me like
thank you for your loving words and for sharing your insight, Sparky!
@Heather225
Big *hugs*❤️ my sweet friend. Your post has still been on my mind for days!
@Heather225
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing.
@Heather225
From what I know, there can't be project agents in sub-community teams. So which role should an outreacher get instead?
@audienta
good question. tagging in @Tommy and/or @CheeryMango for their weigh-in!
@Heather225 @audienta
Whoever does outreach for your community can be considered as a project role. The role of the project agent is designed to help community leaders with any tasks needed to ensure the smooth operation of the community, so outreach would fall under that role.
Just a tip, members can't see the farewell thread that's in a Listener-only community. That's fine, listeners might not want to share that they are leaving with all members, but if there are members on your team consider this one instead (or have a listener message them) - https://www.7cups.com/forum/generalsupport/CommunitySpace_2539/ListenersFarewellTakingaBreakReturningThreadSendYourRegards_37727/
Members taking a break can post here - https://www.7cups.com/forum/generalsupport/CommunitySpace_2539/MembersFarewellTakingaBreakReturningThreadSendYourRegards_37426/