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.
1 I really like how service leadership is where the responsibility is spread over many levels of roles on cups. I can give 2 examples In group members rooms there are rs mod globe mod and paid mods to help keep the rooms safe. In l rooms there are ps lrs cs crm. They all have different Responsibilities to help keep the rooms up going.
2 I will keep doing my part in my roles and move up to a higher roles.
@Goalsforlife at first I was confused about the roles in the group chat rooms, especially in LSR but now, I'm made aware of it and I agree that the variation in responsibilities helps us in providing better service :) thank you for sharing your thoughts :)
@CosmicMiracle i think that is all so true! you gave a great example and that's right - "we are the change we want to see in the world"
@Heather225
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
I think that it is important to implement service leadership in our lives and on 7 Cups.
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 are listeners welcoming other members/listeners that join in group chats.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I can become a better "servant" to the community by applying for a service leadership role such as a mentor.
@zareya
& we are very lucky to have you on cups!
Hello everyone,
1: I believe that leaders are a must in any community one example I could name is just helping our members at their most difficult times, the perfect example would be accepting chat request.
2. One example of becoming a better leader is by taking the LDP. I owe it the community to soak in whatever resources they have.
@Josh3889
These are great ways to learn & become a better leader!
@Heather225
I have received wonderful advice from other leaders, which I feel shows service leadership,
@claj333
This is great! :)
@Heather225
I can be a better servant by helping others and generating warmth and positivity on this site
@claj333
These are great! Thank you for sharing!!
@Heather225
What do you think of the idea of service leadership?
The idea of servant leadership are that leaders earn respect from their members where they feel valued and management is looking out for members interests and shared vision, which is greater trust among members and leaders.
Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
Few examples I have seen in 7Cups are that when i saw listener are being open minded and acknowledge the members experiencing issues in their lives both virtually and physically in chatroom. Being friendly and supportive to members, also growing empathy for them by making a good conversation to light up member's day, being casual with members and creating fun environment did helps members to create better distaction and grow happiness too.
How can you become a better "servant' to our community?
I would like to be become a better "servant' to our community by having awareness to understanding oneself and the impact one has on others. Having persuasion so that to creating change through gentle, nonjudgmental argument. Commitment to the growth of people so that I can treat my members as unique and worthy.
@iStarlight
These are great points! I agree respect, building trust are important.
@Heather225
1- I think the idea of service leadership is amazing because it makes sure that each person benefits and not just one person. It ensures putting peoples needs first and helping each other develop.
2- An example I've seen on 7 Cups would be the mentors who take off some of their time to support and assist new listeners or other listeners to become better listeners. This helps the listener feel more confident in themselves.
3- I can become a better 'servant' to the community by taking more 1-1 chats, participating more in forum and in member group chats as well as a peer supporter as these are the roles I feel more confident doing.
@Immakindlistener22
I love how you've answered the questions, I hope you can become a better "servant" to our community, while remembering to take care of yourself!
Service leadership makes me think of it like a spider web, an individual strand might do the job now and again, but it's not efficient; by linking each strand with each other, having roles that complement one another, realising it's a two-way street, not just one person expecting results, it should be both sides of the party providing services for one another, that then becomes the entire spider web, and it's much more substantial. Over time it could be that those strands are getting older, and this might be an excellent opportunity to review the training and check the role itself to ensure that it is still providing a good service for the community.
I think what I am doing now is an example of being a better servant to the community because I am visiting the different places at 7Cups I do not usually go to. I'm exploring the various features and the other districts, learning how to best deal with different situations, and going back to basics so that when I am leading, I can be one for the team.
@FrenchMarbles
Very well answered, I love how you're taking the time to explore 7Cups more!
Service leadership means or refers to someone who shares power and puts others need before theirs and also help people grow and develop to their full potential
An example of service leaders
Are those leaders who take their time mentoring and messaging both listeners and members
I can become a servant by being a better listener everyday and taking up roles and responsibilities for the betterment person f the community
@eternalCloud4864
Very well said!
