The intersection of servant leadership and online community

The essence of Primility is servant leadership.

Just as pride and humility are opposite sides of the same coin — seemingly opposing forces that actually work best when fused into one — so too are servanthood and leadership.

And they work in much the same way.

• Real leadership isn’t about telling others what to do, it’s about showing others what to do and being the example to follow.

• Real leadership isn’t about achieving something on your own, it’s about helping a group achieve something greater than any individual ever could.

• Real leadership isn’t about seeking credit for the work of the group, it’s about doing whatever is necessary to help the group succeed while believing that the credit should be spread around to all.

You get the idea.

I’ve always understood this about Primility, and thought about it in terms of servant leadership; it’s certainly how I try to lead.

But one issue I’ve had with the concept of Primility, and this website, is bringing it into a practical realm that people can use to make tangible impacts in their own lives.

Another issue has been: who is the audience?

Who is Primility for?

It’s easy to say that a concept like Primility could be useful to anyone, because I believe it’s true. But the reality of building an online audience is that if you try to appeal everyone, you’ll end up appealing to no one.

Plus, I only have my own experiences. I can’t adequately discuss how the principles of Primility would apply to the CEO of a company, because I’ve never been the CEO of a company.

But here is something I do know a lot about: building successful online communities.

And the fundamental mindset that is required to build a successful online community is servant leadership, along with an understanding of the strategies and tools that work.

So instead of using this space to drift in generalities and try to talk to everyone without actually reaching anyone, I’m going to narrow the focus.

The new focus of Primility

The essence of Primility will remain the same: it’s about having a consistent practice of balancing your pride and your humility to live a meaningful life. It’s about being a servant leader in every role you have.

But I’m going to narrow the focus of who I’m talking and why I’m talking to them:

• I’m going to be talking to people who are inspired to build an engaged online community that also positively contributes to a business purpose.

• And I’m talking to these people because servant leadership is the fundamental mindset they’ll need to succeed, and because I understand the strategies and tools they’ll need to employ.

At an even more fundamental level, I believe that online-based communities that are well-run can be a meaningful antidote to the loneliness epidemic we are experiencing in modern-day society.

Technology isn’t going to slow down. We aren’t going to get less connected. So we have to figure out how make the most of these advancements while minimizing the downsides.

I’ve decided that I want to contribute to more people being able to find the sense of belonging they’re lacking. And the best way for me to do that is to combine my concept of Primility with my experience and knowledge in building connected communities.

If you want to join me on this journey, please subscribe below.

I’ll be sending out a weekly email focusing on the mindset, strategies, and tools you’ll need to build engaged, profitable online communities.

I hope you’ll join me.

Let’s create more engaged online communities together.