I’ve never been fond of the title “community manager”. After all, a community is created of individual people. And, for a long time, I’ve tried to live a life engaged with others with this thought in mind, “Manage Things; Lead People”. This amazing group of individuals don’t just “manage” their community – they lead, nurture, care, feed, encourage, inspire and motivate their community members.
Listen
When you empower and encourage others, their sense of belonging to a community and being a valued member increases.
How can you empower others?
- Let go of the reins and let them steer, provide input and feedback.
- Encourage opportunities for sharing thoughts and ideas.
- Listen actively. This means listening for feeling and not just the words. The best advice I ever received from someone about communicating in text mode is to: Read first for the words and the content; Read second for the feeling and the context.
- Know when your own personal idiosyncrasies or frames of reference might be getting in the way of you fully providing credence to someone’s thoughts.
- Be coherent to your own values. Consistency is often thrown around as something you want to be (I’ve used it myself). Yet, I recently learned that being coherent allows you to adjust and grow while still utilizing your values as a guidepost and the very essence of who you are. They are still your non-negotiables but they are not stagnant.
Here are other resources to help you take the lead along with tips from this week that will help you “take the lead” on your personal brand!
- Theatrics Are Required in a Leader by Debra Benton
- What’s Inside the Worst LinkedIn Invite Ever by Nance Rosen
- How to Answer Tricky Interview Questions by Heather Huhman
- Consider Relocating to Get Your Dream Job by Ceren Cubukcu
- How to Turn Networking into Interviews by Alex Freund
- Developing Worthiness of Equality by Elinor Stutz
- How to Convince Influential Entrepreneurs to Endorse Your Brand by The Young Entrepreneur Council
- The “Little Mermaid Principle” for Career Advancement by Richard Kirby
- So You Are an Intern This Summer by Dr. Paul White
- 3 Thoughtful Thanks Necessary to Build a Stronger Connection by Maria Elena Duron
- Hope is Not a Strategy by Jeff Shuey
- How Small Business Leaders Fail Engaging in Candid Communications by Skip Weisman
- Get To Know Your Personal Brand by Susan Gilbert
- Design Your Own Productivity System For Greater Efficiency by Leslie Truex
- What Neuroscience Teaches About Creativity, Stress and Getting Promoted by Beth Kuhel
- 4 Ways to Ask For a Flexible Work Schedule by Glassdoor.com
- Evaluating the Job Offer – What is Missing? by Marc Miller
