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.
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 love the idea of service leadership. It sounds so much better than traditional leadership as that would usually lead to one person having all the power to themselves, which seems counter-productive. By utilising service leadership, and sharing power with your peers, you show that you trust each other. It is also beneficial in the sense that it can help everybody grow at the same time. 7Cups makes use of service leadership through their mentor/teen star roles. For example, while there is a sort of “hierarchy” with Mentors, Mentor Leaders and Ambassadors, everybody in these roles can still contribute in the same way. Take Quality Mentors, for instance; a Mentor Leader in the Quality track is usually someone who leads a specific project or team, and the Quality Mentors will be members of that team. Both the Quality Mentor and Mentor Leader are able to contribute in the same way, though, regardless of what badge they have. The power is shared equally between the Mentor and Mentor Leader, but the Mentor Leader just has an extra badge to show their experience.
How can you become a better "servant'' to our community? I can better serve the 7Cups community by ensuring the areas I am involved are areas I am passionate about, areas I have been trained in, and areas that solves a problem or meets one of 7Cups goals. This ties in to what was learnt in the first discussion of Personal Leadership 101.
@IcedEthan Thank you for pointing this out. I see this situation improving as more people become aware of this and as they become more self-empowered.
Hi @IcedEthan! I love how well thought out and detailed your response is. You brought up some really good points I agree with. Best of luck on the program!
@IcedEthan That is such a great and important reminder, to find the things we are passionate about.
I like this. I can take this course over and over. Each time that I take this course, I learn something new and I get more perspective and insight. It allows me to grow in an upward spiral. It allows others to grow in the same way as well. I am glad that I have subscribed to these threads. And I am happy to see how much this program has grown since its initial launch. Thank you to all of those that have contributed to this wonderful progress. I like it when people keep things updated. We can always post more than once in these threads, like I am doing here, but we need to make sure to keep the posts relative to the topic. Thanks.
@peacefulIris56 It's wonderful to see how the program is having a positive effect on people like you and I. I'm glad you're continuing to learn!
@IcedEthan Yes. Thank you.
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
Service leadership is defined as when someone has the heart to serve, has the courage to engage, and answers the call to lead. I think the idea of service leadership is pretty great because it would be fulfilling work for those involved and help better the community overall.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
An example of service leadership I’ve seen on 7 Cups would be when people take on new roles that suit them to better serve others. A more specific personal example would be that I took on the role of being a moderator because I want to be able to better help out in de-escalation in rooms. I would continue to help out in de-escalating situations whether or not I have the badge and access to mod tools.
How can you become a better "servant'' to our community?
I can become a better “servant” to our community by always striving to improve in everything I do, which would mean asking for feedback and adjusting based upon it. As well as understanding when to step away from leadership roles for a self-care break so I don’t end up burning out and affecting the team’s overall performance.
@richuyulin
Servant leadership is a great idea for community services where serving people is the primary goal. I think it reinforces what we are here to do whatever role we may be serving. Servant leadership is a big reason why 7cups has thrived here.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
I think Mentors are a great example of service leadership in which a leader is here to help a listener.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I think one of the most important yet very underappreciated aspect of this community is Self Awareness. I think if we as a community don’t feel up to the task, then the result intended won’t be achieved. I think it’s a difficult struggle between balancing helping someone and helping myself. But I will try to achieve it better and continue my progress as a servant leader.
Another area I think I can serve is commitment to the growth of people and taking more long term roles in regards to that.
@helpfuldipper
I love the detailed response! I agree that self-awareness is something we can focus more on : )
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
I think it's very important in order for 7 cups to be a good community and good support system for members and even listeners!
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
Listeners on 7 cups demonstrate a high level of service leadership because of their ability to lead conversations, help members feel welcome, and curate a safe space.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I can make sure I put my best foot forward which means that I have to take care of myself and not get burnt out.
@Brinaa101 I love your comment about taking care of yourself. Selfcare is so important to keep being able to do what we do here. Thanks for that reminder!
I think service leadership allows for a more nurturing and supportive environment. It helps makes us all feel like our ideas and effort matter. It motivates us to want to continue to do more!
An example that comes to mind right away of service leadership is how involved everyone is, no matter who or what their role is. Everyone comes off as supportive and invested in you just as much as the next person. Together we are all working together into making 7 Cups what it is and can be!
I think I can become a better servant to our community by continuing to invest in helping people grow!
@FlourishingDimensions
Loved reading your answers Flourishing, very well explained and very sweet :)
@BecauseImBatman22 hey thank you ! 🍪
@FlourishingDimensions
Hello!
I really liked your post! I also wanted to mention that I agree with you on regards to the benefits of being a leader. It is a huge growth opportunity.
@Andyallen hi there! :) lots of good opportunities on this site and in this community for sure. It's also so lovely to meet such nice folks along the way like you!
@FlourishingDimensions
I agree to volunteer to be involved here and knowing that our ideas and efforts matter is self-fulfilling.
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
The idea of service leadership sounds very essential, practical and nice to me. A service leader is someone who doesn't just exercise his power from the top of the hierarchical order but also gets gets actively involved in the work required for his decisions. Someone who puts the needs of others first, and treats them as equals with a lot of support, kindness and empathy. This definitely gets the job done in a more efficient way, with a lot of positivity, and is very essential if we are to follow the motto of 'High Expectations and High Warmth'.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
Out of the many examples I've seen here, I'd like to highlight 'Quality Mentorship'. The mentors I've had are very kind, thoughtful, considerate, empathetic and selfless too. I love how they set aside time for you so you can learn more about listening, or any other role here. I've personally learnt so much from them and I'll always be indebted to that. I think they're a very good example of service leaders here.
How can you become a better 'servant' to our community?
I can be a better servant to our community by being the best version of my listener-self to better listen to my lovely members and support them as much as I can. I'd also love to serve the community by getting into leadership roles here and do my job just right and enjoy it at the same time .
@BecauseImBatman22
Hello!
I really liked your response to these three questions, overall the last one. I think that being a great version of one self can always change things in a good way for us and for those we help.
@BecauseImBatman22
When you say "Someone who puts the needs of others first and treats them as equals with a lot of support, kindness and empathy." that's exactly the vibes I feel at 7cups.
@BecauseImBatman22 hello :D being the best versions of ourselves is a really good point
@BecauseImBatman22 I loved how you answered the questions! 😍
@Heather225
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?
I love the idea of service leadership because it is something that I am passionate about. I just like creating things and making anything possible to help others in any way. An example of servant leadership that I have seen on 7 Cups is moderators and mentors; they are just giving their time to help others as much as they can. When I first came to 7 Cups I was a little lost and I would struggle with several things, but I always had mentors by my side that were there to help whenever I needed them. The same thing goes for all the people in the listener support rooms. I think I could become a better servant to our community by engaging in different leadership roles in which I get to do more for others while also listening to some.
@Andyallen
Just like you, I also felt lost initially. With the right guidance from the mentors, I learned a lot.
@Andyallen
Thank you for acknowledging and appreciating the help you got from here, I agree with you, mentors and moderators and every listener and leader on here deserves much respect. So happy to know that you felt supported and welcomed.
Service leadership is an idea that is not only excellent in its approach but also personally satisfying and promoting individual growth by giving them a sense of shared responsibility.
I have seen many forms of service leadership on 7cups. Some of them are peer supports and quality mentors. I mentioned them because in my initial days on 7cups I received a lot of necessary support from them regarding difficult chats, resource navigation, and general support. They have not only helped me grow as a listener here but also, to grow as a professional and individual.
Becoming a better ‘servant’ to the community is for me is about developing my skill set, being able to collaborate with others in a positive manner, being able to devote time to the community, and being reliable. I have enrolled in this course and in the internship with the same purpose. I was at many roles on 7cups earlier but felt I need a long break. That break gave me a chance to reflect on my actions here, to look for a purpose, and to realize that I would really love to stay active as a listener here. So, I would try to give it my best.
That is such good answers Lucky! I also talked about taking self-care breaks. I don't like to but sometimes it is important to take those breaks to ensure we are at the top of our game.
@ResilientLucky
I personally loved your reflections on the questions, Glad you found support during the time you needed the most, and that shows how hardworking and supportive volunteers in the community are, thank you for acknowledging them.
@ResilientLucky
I agree with you! Peer supporters and quality mentors work hard to create a friendly and comfortable environment and help a listener become a quality listener <3
@Heather225
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
Being in a role higher than others feels good, I won’t lie about that. It feels good in a sense that we are helping others and making sure others' needs are first before ours(even though ours is just as important). Our listeners are the backbone of 7 Cups and they put a lot of hard work in during their free time. It is nice to share the power with others to ensure that our community strives. As a service leadership position it is our job to honor the contributions our listeners/members/mods/PS/CS, etc. put in each day. Every single person matters and as a whole we can make 7 Cups a better, supportive place.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
Our chat support and peer supporter members are one of many ways the service leadership team has been evident. To begin, just like everyone else they are volunteering their time. They take the time out to work with the listeners to ensure our listeners feel supported during rough chats and/or provided with what to do during a chat when stuck. If our listeners aren’t doing well then the quality members receive during chats will diminish. Every single service leadership position is important but especially our PS/CS.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I think it is important to look back after a chat(s) to see how things went. Do you think you could have improved? Is there a better approach to take in the future on this subject? These are all questions I ask myself after a chat. It’s important that I do because it helps me see if I am on top of my game or not. Seeking feedback is not a bad thing - it only helps you improve. I also follow through with each of the responsibilities for each role on 7 Cups that I have. Sometimes I also take a self care break to ensure I’m able to continue being the best listener I can be.
@wonderfulRainbow817
Loved your answer. I agree with you, it is also important to take care of ourselves first and then only we can be helpful to others. I like how you mentioned about every role in the community and that every effort matters.
@wonderfulRainbow817 I totally agree! It is really important to look back after a chat and find ways on how to improve!