Course 2: Becoming a 7 Cups Leader - (Discussion #2) Service Leadership at 7 Cups
Please note: In order to successfully complete Course 2, you must respond to this post. Your comment/response should answer the questions/shows that you completed the given activity (if any). Read the post carefully and follow the instructions given. Save your responses to a document that you can later refer to. You will need to copy/paste your response in the course evaluation form at the end of each course to show that you have done the work and to refresh your memory.
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Being a leader at 7 Cups takes many forms. One thing every listener has in common is that we are all agents of service. Whether we are taking member chats or we are welcoming a new listener to the community, every unique contribution made by listeners is equally wonderful and valuable.
There are many ways to spend our  volunteer time at 7 Cups. Some of you will choose to focus on member chats and others will choose to be involved with our community programs, or both!  No matter which path, all contributions are considered incredibly valuable and special.
The term  Service leadership  (based on the philosophy of servant leadership, in  which the main goal of the leader is to serve)  can be explained in this way:  "Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the top of the pyramid. By comparison, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible."
Sometimes leaders or community members who help with projects receive high praise for their efforts (and they all deserve it) but this is never to take away or undermine the contributions of listeners who fly a little bit more under the radar. How one chooses to spend their volunteer time on 7 Cups is up to them & we love you all the same!
Leadership - Becoming a Teen Star, Mentor, Mentor Leader or Ambassador.
Weve long said⦠that if you want to be a mentor, be a mentor, eventually youll get a badge. These service leadership roles are incredibly important to the functionality of our community. The individuals in these posts do an excellent job helping to keep our community safe and positive. I am very thankful for them.
One misconception I have heard floating around is that once youre in one of these roles you need to do more, be more, show more, etc. The reality could not be any further from the truth. These roles signify contributions that are currently being made & are not about contributions we hope these individuals will make in the future.
Another way to think about this is - Â if youre accepted to be a mentor leader or ambassador, we will not be giving you more work. Our aim is to honor the work you have been previously/currently doing. In fact, wed love for you to add more self-care to your regular routine. These titles are reserved for successful project leaders & community members who are already involved in community engagement projects and actively making a positive impact. In some cases, we may give you more tools to do your specific projects more effectively.
In this sense, service leadership is simply about where you plan to spend your time. To those of you out there who focus 100% on member chats, we LOVE YOU! To those of you out there who focus on community programs, we LOVE YOU TOO! All of these contributions are equally valuable and important. As a collective  community, our aim is to honor your contributions, no matter where or how they manifest.
In this vein, my hope is that you will remember 3 key things:
1. Self-care - always! Make sure self-care is baked into your volunteer work here
2. Dont take on more than you are able. If you dont have the bandwidth to do something, you owe it to yourself and the community to say no. It is 100% okay to say no. (And if you are asking someone to help you with a project, please do not get upset if someone has to say no.)
3. Remember that 7 Cups is an ecosystem. Every single contribution matters! Â
If youd like to be in a service leadership role, my advice would be:
1. Pay attention to how others are contributing
2. Figure out what gets you excited in the community!
3. Once you have an idea of what gets you excited, dive in! You dont need to have a mentor badge to help out, get involved & start learning.
4. If youre not sure how to get involved, you can chat with a mentor or sign up for listener coaching.
5. Once you feel comfortable with your area of attention, apply for the appropriate mentor track.
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Questions: What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
Activity: Please reply to 3 of your peers  in this thread with encouraging or supportive words!
After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next post here! You must take part in the brainstorming/activities given in all of these posts to successfully complete the program.
This post is brought to you by the Leadership Development Program Team, find out more information about the program here.
@Heather225
Servant Leadership:
> It was established byRobertGreenleaf in 1970s.
> In simple words, it is the idea of leader sevring their followers.
"A leader who follows this concept, basically does not lead for wealth, popularity, or power instead they wish to make a positive difference to benefit all or most of their followers. A servant leader, crucially does this knowingly and willingly."
Ten characteristics of a servant Leader are:
1. Listening
2. Empathy
3. Motivation
4. Awareness (including self-awareness)
5. Healing
6. Persuasion
7. Conceptualization
8. Foresight
9. Stewardship
10. Commitment to personal growth and community
My views on this concept:
I am glad that I could explore such an amazing concept. It is definitely suitable for us both as an individual and as a community 
This will be beneficial for success as people will find us more reliable.
What I can do to become a better servant for the community:
1. Seek help from a mentor.
2. Be open to feedback, learning, and self-improvement.
3. By committing my time and efforts to the community.
4. By loving the community.
5. By practicing empathy.
Some examples of servant leaders:
1. Mother Teresa
2. Dalai Lama
3. Siddhartha Gautam (Buddha)
4. Martin Luther King
5.Aslan (The lion leader of Narnia)
@Mishi3015
My apologies, I forgot to mention this part.
One example of service leadership I have seen on 7 cups:
I have noticed how the listeners present in teen listener room help fellow listeners when they need help.
Wonderful example!
Amazing in depth answer! Love all the info you provided :)
These characteristics are a reminder for all of us aspiring servant leaders about the kinds of values we should present with! Thanks for teaching me something new about this
@Heather225
Service leadership is simply where you plan to invest your time in.The main goal of the leader here is to serve. An example of service leadership on 7 cups would be the forum support mentor or any mentor for that matter because they choose to invest their time in mentoring.
@Kindstar45 very well said! 
@BellatheHappyHelper
Thankyou 
What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?I think the idea of service leadership is very essential. One example of service leadership on 7 Cups would be a mentor.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?To become a better servent to the 7 Cups community I need to figure out what I have a passion for in the community.
What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?I think the idea of service leadership is very essential. One example of service leadership on 7 Cups would be a mentor.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?To become a better servent to the 7 Cups community I need to figure out what I have a passion for in the community.
@Heather225
1. What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
Service leadership is not about the hierarchy. The leader’s role is help the community members be the best versions of their selves. The leader seems more akin to a fellow community member or employee than someone in charge. It’s about prioritising the team to make sure they do their absolute best rather than the customer being “always right"
2. Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
I’ve seen it in chat moderators who work in tandem with the group support team to efficiently aid people in group support chats.
3. How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
By keeping these values in mind every time I take an action. Am I trying to serve my community members?
What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
The idea of service leadership is a clear sign of care and support among fellow peers.. It's simple yet very effective, always having someone there for support and direction is key to growing and learning... Peer support has been extremeley helpful to me especially in the first few weeks as I had a few chats that hit hard and left me questioning my capability as a listener. The amazing peer support team quickly laid those worries to rest :)
I could become a better servant to the community by becoming more interactive within certain Gc's. I'm sure we all have our favourite groups but there are so many diverse groups on the site that contain so many people requiring support. So spending more time outside the MCR would be more beneficial to me and hopefully members I interact with.
@becca2002
Thats some good reflecting there becca. Keep up the good work!
@Heather225
I quite like the idea of being a "servant" leader, it shows compassion and it makes a leader seem more approachable. I truly believe peer support deserves more credit than it gets because we help the listeners feel more comfortable or able to continue working here after a hard chat. Which helps our community become stronger. What I should do to become a betterservant is to actually listen to myself when I need self care, and know that its okay, I'm not able to do everything. I could also become more confident in my roles at 7 cups
What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
I think that is great that we have service leadership and one example that I can give for this is from this course. I sent a Dm to one of the Leaders running the course asking them a few questions about certain things. They were totally behind me asking questions and encouraged me to ask more at any time. I think it is amazing that this person is taking the time out of their busy schedule and regardless of their role are doing everything they can to help me.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
One why I believe I can become a better servant to the community is to get a little bit more involved. I usually just came on here an took member chats and that was it. This year I have been getting involved in forum discussions, applied for more roles and have been accepted into the Sharing Circle Hosts program. It’s a welcome break from the 1on1 chat sessions and I know it is still helping.
Service Leadership idea:
When I think of the word "service" I see it as: a contribution to the welfare of others
When I think of "leadership" I see it as: A influential person who guides others
Putting the two together then you have:
An influential contributor who contributes and guides the welfare of others
Example:
In a group chat discussion, the moderator made sure to greet everyone who entered and responded to everyone in the session while leading the group of diverse individuals through several exercises, making sure to keep on topic yet allow for creativity and spontaneity
Better Servant
As a relatively new listener I am still learning my way around the subsites and the plethora of information available to me. I was born to help others so serving the member's who are reaching out in need is very important to me and I find great joy there. However, as I learn more about this fabulous community I have joined several Committees and Group chats to share with fellow listeners. As a director of training and development in my former job, I would love to bring my training and content development skills to the 7 Cups training programs. And I have just signed up for the content development program. YAY
@Heather225
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
I really admire the idea of service leadership and appreciate the distinction made as service leadership is a leader who put others first, and helps all develop to the best of their ability. The sharing of power being a central aspect is
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
When I particiapte in the Listener Support Room, or engage with my Peer Supporter, I find service leadership easy to spot. I have felt supported, never looked down upon and like the fellow listeners and leaders truly care to help me develop the best I can. I would like to pass that forward.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I could become a better "servant" to the 7Cups community by continuously engaging with fellow listeners and leaders and trying to improve my skills as both a lsitener and leader continuously throuhg my journey. I hope to be able to reach out to those who want to develop themselves as better listeners and support them however they need.
