Course 2: Becoming a 7 Cups Leader - (Discussion #2) Service Leadership at 7 Cups

@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.

@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?

I like the idea of service leadership. It is always a good idea to support other people to increase their skills using your experience and knowledge in a great environment like 7cups.

Listening coach.

I will need to understand that I should be empowering my followers and putting them first to unleash their full potential.

@Train1

Putting the others first is definitely a way we can serve them, I really liked that response. Just remember that you are just as important! ❤️

@Train1

Thoughtful points, train.

Thanks for sharing it with us ❤

@Train1

Serving your community like that is absolutely the way to unleash their full potential! Well said.

@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?

I love the idea of observing how others are contributing because this way means I can see what projects enough people have working on it, and what projects could do with another person. The website will evolve and adapt to the member’s needs; this means that some projects might need to be discontinued. It’s important to keep an eye on what is out there to make sure it’s in alignment with our needs.

@FrenchMarbles

Monitoring what's already happening is important. Not just for alignment with our needs but the site's needs as a whole, and to know if we're starting a project that's redundant in meeting demands!

@Heather225

Thank you, Heather, for that very informative post! I really enjoyed going through it!

So let's get to the questions :)

Questions:
1) What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
2) Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
3) How can you become a better "servant" to our community?

Answers:
1) I really like the idea of service leadership. Leaders are often people who are being looked up to or seen as role models. And of course we shouldn't underestimate that, as our behaviour can have an impact on others.
But I think the main purpose of being in a leadership role, or in any role really, is to serve the community. Be it to serve members, peers or other leaders.

2) I think a good example of service leadership are the forums. Forum Supporters try their best to make the forums a safe space, but they also provide really helpful post on all kinds of topics to members and listeners. Their service matters a lot to the whole community, and I am really grateful for each and every one of them.

3) Something I realized in my journey on Cups is, that I can always improve. So how can I improve at being a better servant to the community? For this question, I would like to focus on my role as a chatroom moderator.
I have been avoiding member rooms for a long time. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy them. I felt like people in there are ignoring each other, building cliques, and only responding to people they like. But there is a very easy explanation to that. Every member struggles, otherwise they would not be here. And that is okay and valid. But when someone has so many things on their mind, it is almost impossible to pay attention to anyone else. So as listeners, and especially as leaders, it is our job to make everyone feel included, feel heard, feel validated. And the best way I can do that is by being in the support rooms, making them a safe space for everyone and share all of my positivity in there to make the room and all participants sparkle even more!

So what is it that I exactly wanted to say? I want to serve this community. And at the moment the best way to do that, is by keeping the rooms safe and by appreciating all the members and listeners in there. I will definitely try my best to do so!

Thank you for reading through this, I know I covered a lot and I appreciate your time! 💙

@MelodyoftheOcean

Hello! Just want you to know that I really appreciate your answer! I couldn't agree more with that we could improve ourselves and the community in the whole program.

@Heather225

What do you think of the idea of service leadership?

I think service leadership is when leaders works together with people to help them grow and develop. They put the needs of others first rather than the traditional leadership which involves accumulation of power. The idea of service leadership works as "team work" which greatly benefits a community to flourish successfully.

Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?

Through the Listener 's Coaching Program, Listener Coaches / Quality Mentors helps listeners to improve their listening skills by guiding , encouraging them to grow and develop.

How can you become a better "servant' to our community?

By working on improving my knowledge and skills , committing my time and expertise on areas that I'm good that. Being open to receive constructive feedbacks, and taking it as an opportunity to learn.

@Harsvin

I think being open to constructive feedback is so important and can take a bit of practise getting used to so thank you for mentioning that 😊

@Harsvin

Truly and rightly put forward points.

All the best.

1. I really like this idea since it treats everyone as equal and no one is better than any one else. I also helps keep the site safe and work getting down.

2. I can give you two examples of this type of leadership.

A. Com mod gobal mod , mod and rs for member side. Crm cs lrs ps for the the lsr. Those roles share the responsibilities of keeping the rooms safe and running by doing their separate roles.

3 I think I would try my best with my rs room for now and move up to higher roles later on.

@Goalsforlife

I also think by learning and accepting feedback to become better. I also think by mastering the skills of my roles or role that I have know.

@Goalsforlife

I feel similarly to you Goals, the idea of cups leadership being a place of equality and sharing rather than top down management is really wonderful and allows us all to grow and learn from each other!

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?

I think that unlike traditional leadership, service leadership is about encouraging and inspiring people. It's more about helping people to reach their potential.

Mentors and Mods in group chat are example of service leadership. For mentors, they give others advice to change and improve instead of pushing someone to do work they dislike. For mods, they kindly welcome each member and keep the atmosphere friendly. Those leaders are creating an environment for other listeners to learn and do their best.

Personally I could reach out to other members more and provide help in the forum or chat.

@Glencia89

Ooo that's a lovely way to put it Glencia 'reaching potential' 🥰 I agree with you about mentors and mods too, always around to lend a hand whenever needed :)

@Glencia89

You did a great job of describing mentors! Mentors are not there to force people to do anything you dislike instead they are there to help guide you and help you find something better suited to yourself! Thank you for this post <3

@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 adore the idea of service leadership, supporting others to grow and sharing experiences and ideas is wonderful. It promotes a truely united community!

I see service leadership all the time in the LSR, people often help other listeners or direct them to someone who can.

I am committed to a few roles already but I hadn't really realised that I could be active in the community without the 'proper' title or badge. I just need to be in the spaces that I enjoy more often.

@gentleFox20

Hello! just want you to know that you are doing great! I really like you idea of actively participating. ( I recently realized it too)

Wish you a good day!

@gentleFox20

I really like your answers! I'm currently still trying to find out in which spaces I thrive the most. What spaces do you like?

@Heather225

Service leadership is, under stable external conditions, by far the most efficient system. Delegating roles and responsibilities is so important to meet the extreme demands the internet brings with it. It’s also a system that is much better at listening to the needs of the employees (or in this case volunteers) within it, as power isn’t concentrated around a single individual with hyper-specific views or perspectives.

One interesting example of service leadership is the peer supporter; they help other listeners after distressing conversations. This task could also be done by other leadership positions, but by decentralizing the power, you get to meet greater demands of distressed listeners and also collect many more perspectives on what peer support is like, and what kind of issues listeners often face. This feedback allows for even greater fit between the site/service of 7Cups and its volunteers.

By asking questions and engaging with the community, I encourage the work other members of the community do and the roles they fulfill.

@Glue

I really like the example of peer supporter. Those leaders serve the community a lot!

@Glue

That is a great way of describing peer support! As by delegating tasks we can work better as a team! Thank you so much for your post <3

@Heather225

What do you think of the idea of service leadership?

Service leadership is something thats requres a lot of efforts and hardwork and it happens eventually with conscience , cooperation and understanding.

Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?

One example of service leadership would be a listener who is passionate about the work they are doing and will provide solid time for their responsibilities and take care f the safety and security of the members they are interacting with.

How can you become a better "servant' to our community?

By being more involved in the community to get various opportunities to cooperate with all kind of members and listeners and by trying to understand their perspectives and help them achieve goals together

@PhoenixTears5972

I really like that you mention that taking care of the safety of the chat and the community in general is part of good service leadership. I think that's a point that's often forgotten.

@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?

I think, it's a great concept. It ensures that the value of high warmth isn't decreased by the power and expectation a leader has. I think we can see service leadership in the listener support room every day - the more roles a listener has, the more they serve and support the others in there.

I can become a better servant to the 7 Cups community by focusing on using my strengths instead of mostly trying to work on my weaknesses.