Course 3, Discussion 1: Service Leadership at 7 Cups
The term Service leadership (based on the philosophy of servant leadership, in which the main goal of the leader is to serve). 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!
We've long said that if you want to be a mentor, be a mentor, eventually you'll 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.
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. Don't take on more than you are able. If you don't 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!
If you'd 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 you're 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.
✒️ Question: What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
✒️ Please reply to at least 1 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!
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✒️ Question: 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 idea of service leadership is to always strive to give as the best we can without expecting anything in return. Also, I think it is a way of finding what matters for you and where you wanna make an impact. As an example, I would like to point out all community leaders who strive to keep communities useful, helpful and enjoyable.
What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
As someone who uses 7Cups Academy extensively, I appreciate people making such thorough courses that are free and offer certificates. They have a lot of options and they are so informative. They do a great job without expecting any repayment and this is service to all those who wish to learn a lot. Service leadership in my opinion is the best way of cultivating development and good attitude in the workplace.
@gentlemelon85. I really like your perspective on service leadership, it’s inspiring and shows how much you value supporting others in the community
@FrenchToast I think service leadership is really meaningful because it focuses on helping others and supporting the community without needing recognition. One example I’ve seen on 7 Cups is listeners who consistently show up for member chats and provide emotional support quietly, without expecting anything in return.
@blitheMagic9358
I really liked your perspective on this 😊 I agree that some of the most valuable contributions on 7 Cups come from the people who quietly continue helping others without expecting recognition in return 🤗!
Consistency, kindness, and emotional support can truly make a huge difference in someone’s life, even if it goes unnoticed at times :)
Your reflection captured the heart of service leadership really well (/^-^(^ ^*)/
Thank youu <3
@FrenchToast
✒️ Question: 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 really liked the idea of service leadership because it changes the way we usually view leadership :)
Most people think leadership is about authority, recognition, or being at the top, but this discussion reminded me that true leadership can also be quiet, compassionate, and supportive. Sometimes the people who make the biggest impact are the ones working silently behind the scenes 😊, helping others without expecting attention in return <3
One thing that stood out to me the most is the importance of self-care while helping others ( Which I'm lacking badly ) I personally tend to take on too much at times because I genuinely want to help people and contribute more ^_^ but this discussion reminded me that constantly overworking yourself is not healthy for you or the community. We cannot continue pouring into others while feeling emotionally drained ourselves. Learning to set boundaries and say "no" when needed is also a part of being responsible and caring :) 🤗
I also loved the idea that 7 Cups is an ecosystem where every contribution matters equally.
- Whether someone supports members through chats,
- Moderates forums
- Helps with projects,
- Or simply encourages others,
Every role has value and helps keep the community safe and supportive (･–･) \(･◡･)/
One example of service leadership I have seen on 7 Cups is mentors and listeners patiently supporting members even during difficult situations. I’ve seen people take time to comfort others, guide new listeners, encourage community members, and create a welcoming environment without seeking praise for it o((*^▽^*))o
I think that quiet kindness and consistency is one of the purest forms of leadership 🤗🤗!
*I got this* (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
@AiluraTheCat,
I really loved your thoughts on service leadership 😊 You explained beautifully how true leadership is not always about recognition but often about quiet support and kindness behind the scenes. I also appreciated your honesty about struggling with self-care sometimes. Wanting to help others so much shows how caring you are, but your point about setting boundaries was very important too 🤗
Your line about “quiet kindness and consistency” being one of the purest forms of leadership really stood out to me because it perfectly captures the spirit of 7 Cups 💙
@IamSkyBlueAakash
Aww, I'm genuinely happy that part of my reflection stood out to ya 🤗. Thank you for contributing and doing awesome works as supporting your peers under threads 😊.
You're kind and thoughtful, that's the main key in leadership, you are on track already. We appreciate it ❤️.
@FrenchToast,
✒️ Question: What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
Answer:
I think the idea of service leadership is very meaningful because it focuses on helping and supporting others instead of seeking recognition or authority. It teaches that every contribution matters, whether someone is helping members through chats, guiding new listeners, or supporting community activities behind the scenes.
One example of service leadership I have seen on 7 Cups is experienced listeners helping new listeners by answering their questions, encouraging them after difficult chats, and guiding them patiently without expecting anything in return. Their support helps create a positive and safe community environment.
✒️ Please reply to at least 1 of your peers in this thread with encouraging or supportive words!
Will do for sure!!
@IamSkyBlueAakash
You explained service leadership in a very clear and meaningful way. I also agree that it’s about supporting others quietly without needing recognition <3
Your example of experienced listeners helping new listeners is very true and shows how important that support system is in the community.
Great insight 🤗. We appreciate it a lot (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
@IamSkyBlueAakash
You explained it really well !!! service leadership teaches us to contribute selflessly without expecting recognition or authority in return which makes it even more meaningful. I totally agree with your insights.
@FrenchToast
for me id say an example of service leadership here at Cups would be mentors for listeners, they help and guide the listeners and that in turn helps the members too
@Pudding1000 true
@FrenchToast
✒️ Question: What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
Service leadership means serving others selflessly while taking care of oneself, i appreciate the concept of service leadership as it prioritizes the needs for problem solving and contributing back to society or community. On 7 cups I have witnessed MENTORS as service leaders as they continuously guide and mentor new joiners on their journey.
@FrenchToast
✒️ Question: What do you think of the idea of service leadership? Can you list one example of service leadership you have seen on 7 Cups?
its to do active listening example are some chatrooms at 7 cups
@HealingAlien4444 I agree, the chatrooms are a great example too :)
@FrenchToast Thanks for sharing <3
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 service leadership is about putting the needs of others first while also making sure you look after yourself so you can continue helping in a sustainable way. I like that it recognises every contribution, whether it's supporting members directly or helping the community in other ways. One example I've seen on 7 Cups is listeners consistently welcoming new members and offering kind, thoughtful support during chats, even though they may never receive recognition for it
@talktome610
i thought the same!
@FrenchToast
I think the idea of service leadership is to serve and help others. Someone like room supporters would be an example of service leadership on 7 cups.
@lyricalStrawberry4547
I agree 💯
