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!
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@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?
As stated earlier service leadership is when leader's primary goal is to serve. It makes leadership cool while stripping off the feeling of being better than others or any things related with ego.
One example in my eyes is mentors, they do all this from a position of more knowledge and experience yet they make the mentees feel good and served.
@sereneMango2512
Well said!
@FrenchToast
I think service leadership is a great approach because it focuses on supporting others, understanding their needs, and helping the community grow rather than seeking power or control. A service leader leads by example, listens to others, and creates opportunities for people to succeed.
One example of service leadership I have seen on 7 Cups is listeners and community leaders who volunteer their time to support members, guide new listeners, and create a safe and welcoming space for everyone.
@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 think it's a great idea and a great way to provide support for other people. An example would be I've met many listeners here who dedicate their time to welcome new members and answer their questions.
@Irise Well said!
@FrenchToast Service leadership is a term that encompasses the very heart of what true leadership is. Leadership is not about dominating over others, telling them strictly what to do, or about demanding respect. True leadership is about serving a community with integrity to the degree that people want and choose to follow you.
An example of service leadership is not a particular role, but rather individuals who demonstrate this concept, such as those in the leader support room who step up to provide support to all in the room and who offer a positive example of ways to be supportive to others. This provides service to those in this community and an example of what service looks like in the context of that group chat room.
✒️ 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 is all about serving others above yourself. I have seen some listeners reply and take any requests without question and do their best to offer the support they can