Current Community Leader Guide

Being added as a Community Leader does not mean you suddenly need to produce more posts, create events, or change the way everything works.

Spend some time understanding the community first.

• Who regularly participates.
• Who starts conversations on their own.
• What kinds of posts members actually respond to.
• Which events or activities people enjoy.
• Which areas of the state are active.
• Which areas may be underserved.
• How current leaders work together.
• Whether newer women are getting included.
• Whether there are cliques or closed circles forming.
• What the community already does really well.

• Prove yourself immediately.
• Start posting every day.
• Create an event just because you are new.
• Change things that are already working.
• Compete with existing leaders.
• Take over conversations.
• Try to make the community look different just so your involvement is visible.

Before worrying about the members, get connected with the other leaders.

• Who the current leaders are.
• What each person usually helps with.
• What parts of the state they are in.
• How the leadership team communicates.
• What has been working well.
• What has been difficult.
• Any current concerns.
• Any upcoming events or plans already in motion.
• Where another set of hands would actually help.

Introduce yourself naturally and then start participating like a member of the room.

• Introduce yourself casually.
• Share your general area.
• Share a little about your rig or interests.
• Thank the existing leaders for welcoming you.
• Comment on member posts.
• Reply to women you do not already know.
• Notice how members interact with each other.
• Resist the urge to immediately start changing things.

Before creating something new, look at what the community already tells you it enjoys.

• Posts that get real conversation.
• Topics members start themselves.
• Recurring questions.
• Events people consistently attend.
• Which leaders members naturally interact with.
• Which members help make others feel welcome.
• Where conversations tend to die.

Every established community has women who comment constantly and women who have been quietly watching for months.

• Longtime active members.
• Newer members.
• Women who post but rarely get many replies.
• Members who seem interested but hesitant.
• Women who naturally welcome others.
• Women outside the existing friend circles.
• Members from areas of the state that do not get much attention.

This week is about participation.

• Comment on member posts.
• Ask thoughtful follow-up questions.
• Join conversations already happening.
• Support posts from other leaders.
• Interact with women outside your normal circle.
• Help keep good conversations going.

By now, you should have enough context to notice where the room could be stronger.

• New members are joining but not getting welcomed.
• One part of the state gets most of the attention.
• The group has become mostly event announcements.
• Beginner questions are rare because women may not feel comfortable asking.
• The same few members dominate conversations.
• Some areas have women trying to connect but very little support.
• Online conversation dies between events.

Now you can start adding a little more intentionally.

• A conversation for newer members.
• A location thread for an underserved area.
• A beginner-friendly question.
• A conversation about something members keep asking.
• Helping support an upcoming event.
• A post that helps women discover shared interests.

Established groups can accidentally become comfortable little circles.

That is great for the people already inside them and not especially useful for anyone trying to get in.

• Respond when newer members participate.
• Welcome women you have not seen before.
• Ask open questions that do not require expert knowledge.
• Encourage established members to include others.
• Notice women who attend events but rarely speak online.
• Notice women who participate online but have never attended an event.

Established communities often have more events, which makes this especially important.

Events should not create a separate inner circle that only talks in private chats afterward.

• Help newer women know who they can look for.
• Make event information clear.
• Welcome women attending for the first time.
• Post positive recaps afterward.
• Keep women who could not attend included.
• Bring conversations and connections back into the state community.

In an established state, one area may naturally become much more active than another.

That does not mean the quieter parts should disappear from the conversation.

• Where leaders are located.
• Where events usually happen.
• Which parts of the state consistently participate.
• Which areas have members but little activity.
• Whether geography is creating a real barrier.
• Whether another leader could help an underserved area.

Friendships are exactly what we want.

The issue is when those friendships accidentally become a wall around the community.

• Inside jokes dominating public conversations.
• The same circle greeting each other but ignoring new women.
• Members feeling like they need to attend events before they count.
• New women struggling to join conversations.
• Leaders spending most of their time with their own friends.
• Private plans replacing public opportunities for connection.

• What is working really well?
• What feels stale?
• Are new women getting involved?
• Are members talking to each other?
• Are events helping connection?
• Are some areas of the state being overlooked?
• Does the state need another leader?
• Is anyone on the leadership team overwhelmed?
• Are there recurring problems we need to address?
• Is any area showing a real need for more focused structure?

This review is about your first 90 days as a leader, not the age of the community.

• Do I understand the community better than I did when I started?
• Have I gotten to know women outside my existing circle?
• Am I helping conversations instead of only creating posts?
• Have I supported the other leaders?
• Do I understand which parts of the state need more attention?
• Have I helped newer women feel included?
• Am I adding value without trying to control things?
• What part of leadership do I enjoy most?
• Where do I need more support?

• Any leadership concerns.
• Anything you still do not understand.
• Areas that need more support.
• Possible additional leaders.
• Burnout or availability.
• Community tone concerns.
• Any area that may eventually justify a local community.
• Where your strengths may be most useful moving forward.