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!
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@Heather225
I think that the idea of service leadership is a wonderful concept to be embraced. I think that having this system within a community is a great way to better ensure that everyone feels equal and that the work that they are doing will all have an equal impact rather than having a hierarchy of power.
One example of service leadership that I have seen on 7cups was when I took part in a listener chat room conversation – It was extremely heartwarming to see how helpful all of the listeners were being when I asked a question!
I believe that I can become a better ‘servant’ by making sure to practice self-care and making sure to listen to my fellow listeners!
@magicmango26 self-care is always important!
@magicmango26
Great answer! I love it!
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?
Answer: I think the idea of service leadership is to provide service to those who need us (leaders). It is to serve and make the community better.
Example: I would like to give an example of the listener chatroom. There was a conflict between two listeners and one of the listeners was not confidential about the other listener. At that time, the way leaders in that chatroom handled the situation was incredible. By saying kind words, giving knowledge about community guidelines, and supporting, they diffused the situation. I was really impressed by them.
I can become a better servant in this community by making fun-filled posts for others and listening to others in times of their need. . I mostly post ice-breakers because I feel relaxed answering ice-breakers whenever I feel anxious.
@Zarram77
I like your example Zarram! Very nice.
@Zarram77
It's great that you included an example! And focusing on the positive can make such a huge impact, thank you for all you are doing around 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?
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I feel like we all need sometimes to act like leaders! As service leaders, we don't just speak but also listen to what our team has to say and offer! We have to give the opportunity to all members of the team to be heard and then we have to listen carefully to what is being said! Servant leaders care about their team and value others' perspectives and approach all situations with an open mind! Servant leaders need to show to the team members that they care about them and that they are always there to offer their help if needed and lead the team! I feel like we are all servant leaders here as we try to make this community a better place for everyone! I feel like I can become a better servant leader by acknowledging the importance of my responsibilities within the community! I have to stay professional and maintain trust and confidence! I can also get improved by helping the team to become leaders themselves by leading by example and providing the community with opportunities that will let them grow and develop!
@ASilentBunny
I like your last line about creating more leaders. At times, there are other organizations, where leaders want to do everything and at the same time, are not willing to train or help others in the role. I believe that is what makes an effective leader when you can lead and produce leaders.
@ASilentBunny
Wholeheartedly agree Bunny.
@Heather225
@Heather225
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?
I was stuck in a conversation and was sure that its not going well. I came to the listener support chatroom and asked for help and there were about 5 listeners who jumped to the occasion and were ready to help me. Now thats what i call support with service.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
By participating more in the community taking more training and learning from my peers.
@incrediblelistener78 community participation is a great way to build the community
@TheRusticMystic74
Agreed Mystic! The support here is fantastic, and warmth is always high.
@TheRusticMystic74
I've felt that way a few times in chats so far but you're totally right, if you need help someone is always there.
@Heather225
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
I think of the idea of service leadership, is to provide services to others. A way of being approachable, kind and can relate to others are some of the key contributors to this role.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
One example of service leadership on 7 Cups is the chat rooms, where mentors approach members.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I can become a better servant to our community, by firstly dedicating time to listening to others. Secondly, have follow-up communication (check-ups), to ensure that things are good with the community.
@KBeauty12 yep, followup communication is a great way to make a big impact
@KBeauty12
Being approachable and kind is a great quality to have in a leader. It's great to know that someone is looking out for you.
I love the idea of service leadership. It's the idea that a leader should act to forward the needs and desires of those who's leading, rather than it being the other way around. It's a great way to spread knowledge and create a multitude of leaders, rather than having one person at the top.
An example of this on 7cups could be those who frequent listener support chats, taking time out of their days to help others get better at their roles.
@Dan76
Supporting other listeners on their journey is a great way of serving participants of our community! I really liked your answer! 💜
@Dan76
Amazing answers , Dan!
Thanks for sharing it with us ❤
@Heather225
I think service leadership is really the core of all leadership. leaders in our world tend to forget that they're there to serve, not to rule, and that's where all the abuse roots from. a leader without the desire to serve doesn't deserve to be called a leader. service leadership should be the default, not the exception.
One example I feel most prominently displays service leadership in 7 cups is Chat Mods, especially with how many roles go into moderating and keeping a Sharing Circle running. I, personally, do not have that sort of patience and perseverance.
I can serve the community better by fulfilling my tasks as best as I can, and maintaining my mental hygiene so I don't get burned out, and therefore can be available to people who need a listening ear for a longer period of time.
@Elise849
I agree with your perspective on Leaders,
Your honesty is also very respectable.
@Elise849
I couldn't agree with you more, Elise.
Valid points ❤
@Elise849
you said all that well . You really pointed out some really good points. Keep up the good work.
@Heather225
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?
Service Leadership, is simply put, a manger, or boss, that works with and makes the employees feel happy. Going back to the previous posts choice of words, "Warmth". As well as kindly pushing and not forcing. Nobody wants to be told what to do, but people react better to a few kind pushes and pointed in the right direction.
I've been contacted on multiple occasions with mentors and coaches that are willing to help me with areas that I was struggling in, and that to me, is such a warm feeling and a servicing leader that it made me interested in getting involved more in this community.
I could become a better leader for the 7 cups community by, helping out individuals in need, with some helpful pushing, or an important thing in a leadership role, In my honest opinion, is communication. Communication can go a long way. So putting that into action here on 7 cups is communicating the mistakes, and hopefully communicating with others, and evolving as a group, instead of as a lone wolf.
I've had the same experience on 7 cups as well. It is so nice to feel welcome and be invited to do more.
@MrS7v7n
It is true that
communicating is the important part of becoming a good leader. I have found
that 7cups has taught me to become not only a good listener but a good
communicator. I think that I really make sure that I am contributing to
conversations without changing topics. This leads to a sense of warmth in my
connections.
@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've always loved the idea of service leadership (although I never had a name for it till today). It's a lot like leading by doing. If you show that you care enough to make an effort then others will follow and put more effort into the community and take more pride in what they're doing here. I've seen this a lot on 7 cups, most leaders tend to jump in and go out of their way to welcome everyone. As a new leader myself, I'm involved in forum support for the HobbyZone. If I make a thread and I don't get a lot of posts or engagement then I'll look for what does get our members attention and gets them engaged and make changes from there.
@AuroraBriarRose0
It is great that you are actively seeking ways to engage the 7cups community. I hope to also lead from your example.
@AuroraBriarRose0
I like the way you would go about getting more people in the forums. Keep it up.
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
It sounds wonderful, but sadly, it's not something we see much in the world. I can see that 7 Cups is different.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
The CDM Academy mentors are fantastic examples of service leadership in action.
How can you become a better "servant" to our community?
By putting others first and helping them perform to their fullest potential.
@GoldenNest2727
It is an unfortunate reality that service leadership is not common in other organizations. Hopefully our work in 7cups will help to promote this leadership style around the world.
@GoldenNest2727
You are so good at putting others before you. You are a really good leader, keep it up.