This article originally appeared on catjohnson.co.
One of my favorite leadership principles is that the best leaders create more leaders.
It has been a guiding force for Coworking Convos, the Coworking Creators Lab, my writing, and all my work. Seeing someone step out of the shadows and into their light is endlessly inspiring.
And your coworking space is the perfect canvas to experiment with growing leaders, because your space is full of leadership potential. Some of this leadership potential is known, but most of it is likely behind laptops, office doors, and members who are quietly doing remarkable things.
I will argue forever that the best way to bring someone into your community is to ask them to contribute to the community. Doing so is far and away the best way to give someone a sense of ownership of the space and a feeling of belonging in the community.
You can ask someone to bring in their famous salsa, contribute a piece of art to the space, or whatever else enables them to bring more of their whole self into the community.
You can also ask them to teach something they’re good at. Maybe it’s sushi making, latte art, lettering techniques, or flower arranging. Or maybe they teach a lunch-and-learn on productivity tips and tools they use as an entrepreneur; strategies for creating a great culture with a remote team; the latest AI video tools; Canva pro tips, etc.
The point is, you’re inviting them to share something they’re good at and that other members can benefit from.
This is wildly different from inviting them to pitch their company, which isn’t compelling and has infomercial red flags all over it. The idea is not that members and member companies are selling to each other, the idea is that people are supporting each other in doing their best work.
Because isn’t that what we’re doing in coworking?
And the irony is that by helping and supporting each other, your members create openings for connection and gain each other’s trust, which is the foundation for deepening relationships, whether as peers, collaborators, supporters, or sometimes clients.
So think about ways you can invite members to share more of themselves (and their superpowers) with your community.
Because in addition to being entrepreneurs, teams, CEOs, remote workers, freelancers, corporates, startups, and business owners, we’re all humans who need a sense of social connection and belonging to be our best selves.
